2 · Particles
Every and each: 마다 and 씩
distributive particles
마다 means "every", 씩 means "each" or "at a time" — one counts the occasions, the other shares out the amount.
마다 goes on a noun and means "every", each one without exception: 날마다, "every day", 주말마다, "every weekend", 사람마다, "every person". After a length of time it gives "every so often": 십 분마다 버스가 와요, "a bus comes every ten minutes". It has one shape and is written onto the noun.
With people and places, 마다 often says that each one is different: 사람마다 생각이 달라요, "everyone thinks differently", 나라마다 문화가 달라요, "every country has its own culture". English would say "everyone" or "each"; Korean puts the "every" on the noun that varies.
씩 goes after a number and its counter, and shares an amount out: "each", "apiece", "at a time". 한 개씩, "one each", 두 명씩, "in twos", 조금씩, "little by little". A rate is said with 에 on the unit and 씩 on the amount: 하루에 세 번씩, "three times a day". The two can meet in one sentence: 사람마다 두 개씩, "two for every person".
The test is simple: 마다 goes on the thing that recurs — the day, the person, the house — and 씩 on the amount that is handed out. English speakers tend to translate "each" with 마다 in both places. And "every day" is 매일 or 날마다; 모든 날, "all days", sounds stiff and is not what people say.
The form
| every (time) | 주말마다, 아침마다 |
| every (person, place) | 사람마다, 나라마다 |
| every so often | 십 분마다 |
| each, apiece | 한 개씩, 두 명씩 |
| little by little | 조금씩 |
| a rate | 하루에 세 번씩 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
마다 after a noun means "every" — each one of them, without exception.
저는 주말마다 등산을 가요.I go hiking every weekend.
With people or places, 마다 often says that each one is different.
사람마다 취향이 달라요.Everyone has different tastes.
씩 follows a number and a counter and shares an amount out: each, apiece, at a time.
아이들한테 사탕을 두 개씩 줬어요.I gave the children two sweets each.
A rate is said with 에 on the unit and 씩 on the amount.
이 약은 하루에 세 번씩 드세요.Take this medicine three times a day.
A closer look
Every day, said two ways
Korean has two sets of words for "every": native nouns with 마다 and Sino-Korean ones with the prefix 매. 날마다 and 매일, 주마다 and 매주, 달마다 and 매달, 해마다 and 매년 mean the same. The ones with 매 are more frequent in everyday speech.
씩 also goes on lengths of time, for turns and shares: 한 시간씩 번갈아 운전했어요, "we took turns driving an hour each". It always answers the question "how much for each one?".
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the noun already starts with 매 — 매일, 매주, 매년
leave out 마다.
저는 매일 한국어를 공부해요.I study Korean every day.
매 already means "every". Adding 마다 says it twice; it is often heard, but careful speakers avoid it.
How to spot it
- 마다
- 씩
- 날마다
- 조금씩
- 하나씩
- 하루에
Example sentences
버스가 십 분마다 와요.A bus comes every ten minutes.
저는 아침마다 조깅을 해요.I go jogging every morning.
나라마다 문화가 달라요.Every country has its own culture.
한 사람씩 들어오세요.Please come in one at a time.
사과를 두 개씩 나눠 가졌어요.We shared out the apples, two each.
한국어 실력이 조금씩 늘고 있어요.My Korean is improving little by little.
8 more example sentences
토요일마다 할머니 댁에 가요.I go to my grandmother's house every Saturday.
방마다 침대가 두 개씩 있어요.Every room has two beds.
한 달마다 머리를 잘라요.I get my hair cut every month.
학생들이 두 명씩 앉았어요.The students sat in twos.
매일 단어를 열 개씩 외워요.I learn ten words by heart every day.
계단을 한 칸씩 천천히 올라가세요.Go up the stairs slowly, one at a time.
사람마다 생각이 다르니까 서로 이야기를 들어 봐요.Everyone thinks differently, so let us listen to each other.
물을 조금씩 자주 마시세요.Drink water little and often.
Worth knowing (1)
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Every time something happens
마다 also goes on 때, "time, occasion": after a verb, 때마다 means "every time". 이 노래를 들을 때마다 is "every time I hear this song".
이 노래를 들을 때마다 고향 생각이 나요.Every time I hear this song, I think of home.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
마다 counts recurring occasions or the members of a group — every day, every person. An amount handed out to each is 씩: 한 개씩, "one each". If English puts "each" after the number, Korean uses 씩.
Mada counts the times or the people; ssik shares out the amount.
Your turn
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