Meaning and Usage
"갈수록" is an adverb used to express that something changes progressively or increasingly over time or as a situation develops. It often translates to "as time goes by," "more and more," or "increasingly."
Common Contexts
You will frequently hear "갈수록" in everyday conversations when talking about changes in weather, workload, difficulty, or feelings that intensify or grow over time.
Collocations and Patterns
- 갈수록 + adjective/verb: to indicate increasing degree or intensity (e.g., 갈수록 어려워지다 - to become harder as time goes by)
- 갈수록 더 + adjective: emphasizing the increase (e.g., 갈수록 더 좋아지다 - to get better and better)
Register and Politeness
"갈수록" is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts without changing its form.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "갈수록" with "갈수 있다" (can go). Remember that "갈수록" is an adverb indicating gradual change, not a verb phrase.
Use "갈수록" to naturally describe situations that develop or intensify over time, making your Korean sound more fluent and expressive.