마다 particle (every, each)

This grammar works by attaching directly to a noun. It functions as a particle. In Korean, particles usually follow nouns. 마다 is no exception. It indicates that the noun it follows is repeated. It can also mean that something applies to every individual unit. For example, if you say 날 (day) and add 마다, you get 날마다 (every day). If you say 사람 (person) and add 마다, you get 사람마다 (every person). There is one very important rule. You must not put a space between the noun and 마다. They are best friends. They stay together. If you add a space, the grammar police might find you! Just kidding, but it will look wrong. Keep them close and your writing will be perfect. It is like a grammar traffic light. It tells you to keep the flow moving without stops.

1. 1Pick any noun you want to use.
2. 2Check if it is a time, person, or place.
3. 3Attach 마다 directly to the end of that noun.
4. 4Do not check for a final consonant (batchim).
5. 5Do not add any spaces between them.
6. 6Use the new word in your sentence.
7. 7Example 1: 요일 (day of the week) + 마다 = 요일마다 (every day of the week).
8. 8Example 2: 집 (house) + 마다 = 집마다 (every house).
9. 9Example 3: 분 (minute) + 마다 = 분마다 (every minute).

You use 마다 in many real-world scenarios. Imagine you are at a job interview. You want to impress the manager. You say, "I study Korean 날마다 (every day)." It shows consistency. Or imagine you are ordering food. You see a menu with many side dishes. You might say the food is delicious 집마다 (at every restaurant). It is great for talking about habits. Do you go to the park 주말마다 (every weekend)? Use it there. Do you check your phone 분마다 (every minute)? We all do! Use it there too. It is also perfect for general truths. "Every person has a different dream." That is 사람마다 in action. It helps you describe patterns in life. It helps you talk about your schedule clearly. If something happens regularly, 마다 is your go-to tool.

Do not use 마다 with verbs directly. You cannot say "eat-every." You must use a noun. Also, be careful with the prefix 매-. 매- also means "every." It comes from Chinese characters. For example, 매일 means every day. You should not say 매일마다. That is redundant. It is like saying "every every day." Pick one or the other. Most people use 매일 or 날마다. Also, avoid using it when you want to emphasize a specific quantity. If you mean "two at a time," use 씩 instead. 마다 is about the interval or the whole group. It is not about dividing a pile of apples. Keep it for cycles and sets. Even native speakers sometimes double up on 매- and 마다 by accident. But you are a pro now. You will keep it clean and simple.

The biggest mistake is the space. Many learners write 날 마다. This is incorrect. It must be 날마다. Another mistake is using it with 매-. As mentioned, 매주마다 is a bit much. Just say 매주 or 주마다. Some learners try to use it with adjectives. You cannot say "blue-every." It only works with nouns. Another common slip-up is using it for duration. If you want to say "for every two hours," you say 두 시간마다. Don't forget the counter! Some people forget the noun entirely. You need that base noun for 마다 to have a home. Think of the noun as the house and 마다 as the roof. You can't have a roof floating in the air!

Let's look at 마다 versus 씩. 마다 means "every." 씩 means "each" in terms of distribution. If you take medicine 세 시간마다, you take it every three hours. If you give children 사과 한 개씩, you give them one apple each. Do you see the difference? One is about the time interval. The other is about the amount per person. Then there is 매-. 매- is a prefix. It is more formal. You see it in newspapers. 마다 is a particle. It is more common in speaking. 매일 is very common. 날마다 is also common but feels a bit more poetic. Both are fine. Just don't mix them together in one word. It is like wearing two hats. One hat is enough for a great outfit!