어제보다 더 널 사랑해

The line, explained

Some promises are big and dramatic. This one is small and steady, and that is why it is lovely: 'I love you more than yesterday.' It means today is more than yesterday, and tomorrow will be more than today. Korean builds comparisons with 보다, 'than', and 더, 'more', and once you have those two words you can compare almost anything. This line is one of the simplest and sweetest ways to practise them.

어제 means yesterday. Attach 보다 directly to it and you get 어제보다, 'than yesterday'. That is the key thing about Korean comparison: the word 'than' sticks to the end of the thing you are comparing against, instead of coming before it like in English. 나보다 is 'than me', 생각보다 is 'than I thought', 누구보다 is 'than anyone'. 보다 never changes shape, whether the word ends in a vowel or a consonant.

더 means more. Technically, 보다 already tells you a comparison is happening, so Koreans sometimes leave 더 out: 어제보다 좋아 still means 'better than yesterday'. But in songs and in heartfelt speech, 더 is kept for emphasis, and it often gets a little stretch when sung. Its opposite is 덜, less: 어제보다 덜 아파, it hurts less than yesterday. Both words sit right before the verb or adjective they modify.

널 is a squeezed form of 너를, 'you' with the object marker, the one who is being loved. 사랑해 is the casual present of 사랑하다, to love, which you probably know from every fan sign ever. Put together, 더 널 사랑해 is 'love you more'. Korean is flexible about order here: 널 어제보다 더 사랑해 also works, but starting with 어제보다 puts the comparison in the spotlight, which is where a chorus wants it.

Sing it gently: eo-je-bo-da deo, a little lift on deo, then neol sa-rang-hae. Now swap the yardstick and watch the meaning change: 그때보다 더, more than back then; 처음보다 더, more than at the start; 누구보다 더, more than anyone; 세상 무엇보다 더, more than anything in the world. Each one is just a noun plus 보다, followed by 더. With these two small words you can rank anything you love.