Similar to: -처럼/같이

At its core, this grammar is incredibly straightforward. You take a noun (the thing you are comparing to) and you stick -처럼 or -같이 right onto the end of it. There is no space between the noun and the particle. It’s like a grammar magnet. Once attached, this new block acts like an adverb in your sentence. It tells us *how* someone does something or *what* someone is like. For example, if you say 가수 (singer) and add -처럼, you get 가수처럼 (like a singer). If you then add 노래해요 (to sing), the whole sentence 가수처럼 노래해요 means "You sing like a singer." It’s a very "plug-and-play" system. Don't overthink the choice between the two yet; in about 95% of cases, they are interchangeable. Just remember that they always follow a noun, never a verb or an adjective directly. Think of the noun as the anchor and the particle as the rope connecting it to the rest of the sentence.

1. 1Pick your Comparison Noun: Start with the thing you want to compare something to (e.g., 바다 - ocean, 천사 - angel).
2. 2Choose Your Particle: Pick either -처럼 or -같이. There are no tricky conjugation rules here—it doesn’t matter if the noun ends in a vowel or a consonant.
3. 3Attach with No Space: Write it as one word: 바다처럼 or 바다같이.
4. 4Add Your Action/State: Follow it up with a verb or adjective: 바다처럼 넓어요 (It is wide like the ocean).

Use this grammar whenever you want to create a simile or highlight a shared characteristic between two things.

• Compliments: Tell your friend they dance like a professional (프로처럼).
• Daily Habits: Mention that your roommate sleeps like a log (곰처럼 - literally "like a bear" in Korean culture).
• Physical Descriptions: Describe someone's eyes as being like stars (별처럼).
• Emotional States: Say you feel like a fool (바보같이) for forgetting your keys for the third time this week.
• Professional Contexts: In a job interview, you might say you want to work like a bridge between two cultures (다리처럼).

It’s perfect for adding emphasis. Saying "He is fast" is okay, but saying "He runs like the wind" (바람처럼 달려요) is much more dramatic and engaging. Just don't go overboard and compare everything to a k-pop star, or people might start giving you funny looks.

There are a few "grammar traffic lights" to watch out for. First, do not use these particles after verbs. If you want to say "He acts like he's rich," you can't just stick -처럼 on the verb "to be rich." That requires a different structure (like -는 것 처럼). These two are strictly for nouns. Second, be careful with -같이 when you are also using the word "together." While they look identical, the context usually clears it up, but placing them poorly can lead to confusion. Also, avoid using -처럼 when you are making a literal comparison of equality (use -만큼 for that). Finally, don't use these for things that are actually identical. If you are a student, you don't act "like a student," you *are* a student. Use these only when you are drawing a comparison to something else.

• The Space Trap: The most common mistake is putting a space between the noun and the particle. It's 아이처럼, not 아이 처럼. Think of them as inseparable best friends.
• Verb Confusion: Trying to attach it to a verb stem. 먹다처럼 is a big no-no. It must be a noun, like 돼지처럼 (like a pig).
• The Adjective Swap: Using -처럼 when you should use -같은. If you are describing a noun directly (e.g., "A dream-like house"), you need the adjective form 꿈 같은. If you are describing an action (e.g., "I live like a dream"), use 꿈처럼.
• Overusing "같이": While -같이 is great, sometimes using it for "together" and "like" in the same sentence makes it sound like a tongue twister. Mix it up with -처럼 for clarity.

-처럼/같이 vs. -같은: This is the biggest hurdle for A2 learners. -처럼 and -같이 are adverbs. They describe *actions* or *states*. Use them before verbs or at the end of a descriptive phrase. -같은 is an adjective. It describes *nouns*.

• 가수처럼 노래해요 (Sing like a singer - modifies singing)
• 가수 같은 사람 (A person who is like a singer - modifies the person)

-처럼 vs. -만큼: -처럼 focuses on the *manner* or *quality* (looking/acting like). -만큼 focuses on the *degree* or *amount* (as much as).

• 바다처럼 짜요 (It's salty like the ocean - quality)
• 바다만큼 넓어요 (It's as wide as the ocean - degree)