Korean grammar · Level 4 · 4급
N조차 · N마저
Even (the last thing you'd expect)
Both mean “even”, and both are stronger than 도. 조차 marks the most basic thing you'd expect, and it usually sits in a negative or disappointing sentence: 이름조차 몰라요. 마저 means “even the last one”, so nothing is left: 막차마저 끊겼어요. Don't add 이/가 or 을/를 after either.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 조차 — even the most basic thing | N조차 | 이름조차 몰라요 |
| 마저 — even the last one left | N마저 | 마지막 호떡마저 먹었어요 |
| after another particle | N에서조차 · N에게마저 | 꿈에서조차 |
Examples
아침에는 눈조차 못 떠요.
In the morning I can't even open my eyes.
비가 오는데 우산마저 잃어버렸어요.
It was raining, and to top it all I lost my umbrella.
너무 바빠서 밥 먹을 시간조차 없었어요.
I was so busy I didn't even have time to eat.
Practise it in context · Level 4, Unit 5
Words and proverbs
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
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