Expressing Sufficiency in Korean: 충분하다, 부족하다, and 너무
Learn to say whether something is enough, not enough, or too much in Korean using 충분하다, 부족하다, 모자라다, and 너무, with natural intermediate-level patterns.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Korean expresses sufficiency with a small set of adjectives and adverbs that behave quite differently from English 'enough' and 'too'. The core words are 충분하다 (chungbunhada, 'to be sufficient'), 부족하다 (bujokhada, 'to be lacking'), 모자라다 (mojarada, 'to be short/insufficient'), and 너무 (neomu, 'too, excessively'). Unlike English, Korean does not place a word meaning 'enough' after an adjective ('tall enough'). Instead, sufficiency is usually stated with 충분히 plus an adjective or verb, or with the noun 충분. This lesson focuses only on judging whether an amount is sufficient or excessive, not on obligation or necessity.
By the end, you can…
- say that time, money, or food is enough using 충분하다 and 충분히.
- say that something is not enough using 부족하다 and 모자라다.
- use 너무 to say an amount or degree is excessive.
- ask whether something is enough in a polite question.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
시간이 충분해요.
We have enough time. / There is enough time.
si-gan-i chung-bun-hae-yo
Neutral polite statement. 시간이 is the subject marked by 이; 충분해요 is the polite present form of 충분하다.
시간이 부족해요.
We don't have enough time. / Time is insufficient.
si-gan-i bu-jok-hae-yo
Neutral polite and common in announcements, schedules, and written notices.
돈이 모자라요.
I don't have enough money. / Money is short.
don-i mo-ja-ra-yo
Everyday spoken Korean. 모자라다 sounds more conversational than 부족하다.
너무 많아요.
There is too much. / There are too many.
neo-mu ma-na-yo
너무 before an adjective or verb means 'excessively'. In casual speech it is also widely used as a general intensifier meaning 'very'.
충분히 먹었어요.
I ate enough. / I've eaten sufficiently.
chung-bun-hi meo-geo-sseo-yo
충분히 is the adverb form. Use it before verbs to show that an action was done to a sufficient degree.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is [noun] + 이/가 + 충분하다/부족하다/모자라다. For example, 시간이 충분해요 (si-gan-i chung-bun-hae-yo) means 'There is enough time,' while 시간이 부족해요 (si-gan-i bu-jok-hae-yo) means 'Time is insufficient.' To modify a verb, use the adverb 충분히: 충분히 이해했어요 (chung-bun-hi i-hae-hae-sseo-yo, 'I understood sufficiently'). To express excess, place 너무 before the adjective or verb: 너무 비싸요 (neo-mu bi-ssa-yo, 'It's too expensive').
When to use it
Use 충분하다 when you want to confirm that an amount meets a need, often in polite reassurance: 밥이 충분해요? (bab-i chung-bun-hae-yo?, 'Is there enough food?'). Use 부족하다 in formal or written contexts such as 준비가 부족했습니다 (jun-bi-ga bu-jok-hae-sseum-ni-da, 'The preparation was insufficient'). Use 모자라다 in everyday speech about money, time, or sleep: 잠이 모자라요 (jam-i mo-ja-ra-yo, 'I don't get enough sleep'). Use 너무 when the amount or degree goes beyond what is desirable: 너무 시끄러워요 (neo-mu si-kkeu-reo-wo-yo, 'It's too noisy').
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
시간이 충분해요?
Do we have enough time?si-gan-i chung-bun-hae-yo?아니요, 시간이 부족해요.
No, we don't have enough time.a-ni-yo, si-gan-i bu-jok-hae-yo.그럼 택시를 타요. 돈은 충분해요?
Then let's take a taxi. Do we have enough money?geu-reom taek-si-reul ta-yo. don-eun chung-bun-hae-yo?돈은 충분하지만 시간이 너무 없어요.
We have enough money, but we have far too little time.don-eun chung-bun-ha-ji-man si-gan-i neo-mu eop-seo-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, 충분하다 and 부족하다 appear often in formal notices and evaluations, while 모자라다 is more common in casual conversation. 너무 originally meant only 'excessively' and was avoided in formal writing, but in modern spoken Korean it is widely used as a general intensifier meaning 'very'. In polite service situations, saying 충분합니다 (chung-bun-ham-ni-da) sounds more formal and respectful than 충분해요.
One thing to watch for
Using 너무 to mean simply 'very' in formal writing, as in 너무 감사합니다.
Try this instead: In formal or written Korean, use 매우 or 아주 for 'very': 매우 감사합니다 (mae-u gam-sa-ham-ni-da). Reserve 너무 for excess or casual emphasis, as in 너무 많아요 (neo-mu ma-na-yo, 'There is too much').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'We don't have enough time' using the formal-neutral adjective?
Show a sample answer
시간이 부족해요.
시간이 is the subject marked by 이, and 부족해요 is the polite present form of 부족하다. 시간이 모자라요 is also correct in casual speech.
2Translate into Korean: 'I ate enough.'
Show a sample answer
충분히 먹었어요.
충분히 is the adverb form modifying 먹었어요. 밥을 충분히 먹었어요 is also correct if you include the object.
3What does 너무 많아요 mean, and how does it differ from 많아요?
Show a sample answer
It means 'There is too much.' 많아요 simply means 'There is a lot,' while 너무 adds the idea that the amount is excessive.
너무 marks excess or an undesirable degree. In casual speech it can also mean 'very,' but the core meaning is 'too much.'
Use 충분하다 for 'enough,' 부족하다 or 모자라다 for 'not enough,' and 너무 for 'too much' or 'too' before adjectives and verbs.
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