TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.7 More Particles 06

TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.7 More Particles 06

'보다 · 마다' - Than and Every, After the Noun

여름이 겨울보다 좋아요. I like summer better than winter. 아침마다 운동해요. I exercise every morning. One particle compares two things, the other marks repetition - and both attach where English "than" and "every" never go: behind the noun.

Key point 보다 attaches to the standard of comparison - the thing you measure against (= than). 마다 attaches to a noun and marks repeated occasions or each member of a group (= every, each). Both come after the noun, and neither changes shape.

How to use it

English puts "than" in front of the second item: faster than the bus. Korean turns that around - 지하철이 버스보다 더 빨라요 (= the subway is faster than the bus). 보다 sits behind 버스, the standard. It often pairs with 더 (= more) to point at the difference.

마다 marks repeated occasions or each member of a group: 날마다 (= every day), 주말마다 (= every weekend), 두 시간마다 약을 드세요 (= take the medicine every two hours). Again, English "every" stands before the noun; 마다 stands after it.

One thing to watch: the emphasis of a comparison sentence is on the subject, not on the 보다-noun. In 여름이 겨울보다 좋아요, summer is the one you like. Literally it says "summer is better than winter." English says "I like summer," but Korean makes the thing you like the subject (여름이). Swap the two nouns and you say the exact opposite.

At a glance

Particle	Meaning	Example
보다	standard of comparison (= than)	오늘이 어제보다 따뜻해요 (= today is warmer than yesterday)
보다 + 더	points at the difference	한국어가 영어보다 더 재미있어요
마다 (time)	every (repetition)	일요일마다 교회에 가요
마다 (each)	each one, one by one	나라마다 문화가 달라요 (= cultures differ from country to country)

Bigger gap  When the difference is large, 훨씬 (= much, far) replaces 더 - 비행기가 기차보다 훨씬 빨라요 (= planes are much faster than trains).

Examples

비행기가 기차보다 빨라요. Planes are faster than trains. - 보다 marks 기차, the standard.

저는 아침마다 커피를 마셔요. I drink coffee every morning. - a morning-by-morning routine.

이 가게가 저 가게보다 더 싸요. This shop is cheaper than that one. - 더 makes the difference explicit.

Common mistakes

❌ 매일마다 한국어를 공부해요. → ⭕ 매일 한국어를 공부해요. / 날마다 공부해요. 매일 already contains the meaning of "every" (매 = every), so adding 마다 says the same thing twice. Choose 매일 or 날마다 - one or the other.

⚠️ (겨울을 좋아해요.) 여름이 겨울보다 좋아요. → ⭕ 겨울이 여름보다 좋아요. Grammatically fine - but it says the opposite of what you mean. 보다 attaches to the standard - the thing being compared against, not the one you prefer. If winter is your favorite, winter takes the subject position and 여름 takes 보다.

Quick check

Fill each blank with 보다 or 마다.

1. 동생이 저(      ) 두 살 어려요.
2. 저는 주말(      ) 등산을 가요.
3. 오늘은 어제(      ) 훨씬 시원해요.

Show answers

1. 보다 (the standard is 저 - two years younger than me)   2. 마다 (every weekend, repetition)   3. 보다 (the standard is 어제; 훨씬 signals a big gap)

💡 Study tip - Make five true comparisons about yourself tonight. Use the frame A가 B보다 (더) ~해요 with your real preferences - start with 저는 커피가 차보다 좋아요 (= I like coffee better than tea).