Korean Particle 마다: Every / Each

Means 'every' or 'each'. Attached directly to time or unit nouns.

The Rule

Means 'every' or 'each'. Attached directly to time or unit nouns. Particles are the backbone of Korean grammar. Unlike English, which relies on word order to show who does what, Korean uses small markers attached directly to nouns. 마다 is one of the most fundamental particles you'll encounter, and understanding it correctly will dramatically improve your Korean comprehension.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English doesn't have particles like 마다. In English, word order and prepositions do the job — "I gave the book to him" uses position and "to" to clarify meaning. Korean particles attach directly to nouns and change the grammatical role, which feels alien at first. The biggest confusion comes from trying to translate particles one-to-one with English prepositions. 마다 doesn't map neatly to any single English word. Instead, think of it as a grammatical tag that tells you the noun's role in the sentence.

How It Works

Means 'every' or 'each'. Attached directly to time or unit nouns. 마다 attaches directly after a noun with no space. If the noun ends in a consonant (받침), the form may change — this is called "받침 sensitivity" and it's a pattern you'll see across Korean grammar. Pay attention to how native speakers use 마다 in real conversations. You'll start noticing patterns quickly.

Real Examples

• 날마다 운동해요. (narmada undonghaeyo.) — "I exercise every day." [날 + 마다] • 주말마다 영화를 봐요. (jumarmada yeonghwareur bwayo.) — "I watch movies every weekend." [주말 + 마다] • 사람마다 달라요. (sarammada darrayo.) — "Every person is different." [사람 + 마다]

Common Mistakes

❌ 날마다에 운동해요. (narmadae undonghaeyo.) ✅ 날마다 운동해요. (narmada undonghaeyo.) → 마다 already includes the 'at/during' meaning — don't add 에 after it.

Quick Tip

Practice by labeling objects around you with 마다. Say the noun + particle out loud until it feels natural. When reading Korean, circle every 마다 you see and ask yourself WHY it was used there — this active reading habit builds intuition faster than memorizing rules.

Remember: Means 'every' or 'each'. Attached directly to time or unit nouns.

Examples

날마다 운동해요. — narmada undonghaeyo. — I exercise every day.

주말마다 영화를 봐요. — jumarmada yeonghwareur bwayo. — I watch movies every weekend.

사람마다 달라요. — sarammada darrayo. — Every person is different.