TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
-쯤
-쯤 after a time, amount or place means 'about / around'.
조사ParticlesHan: 쯤 comes right after the noun; the particle 에 follows it.
Examples
이 근처쯤에 은행이 있을 거예요.There should be a bank somewhere around here.
저녁 일곱 시쯤 도착할 거예요.I'll arrive around seven in the evening.
여기에서 역까지 십 분쯤 걸려요.It takes about ten minutes from here to the station.
Don’t mix up
-쯤vs정도정도 is a separate noun with the same meaning, written with a space and a bit more formal: 십 분 정도.
How to build it
N(time/number/place)+쯤
세 시 → 세 시쯤, 만 원 → 만 원쯤
- It attaches directly to the noun with no space: 다섯 시쯤.
- Particles come after it: 세 시쯤에 만나요.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 세 시에쯤 만나요.
Right: 세 시쯤에 만나요.
쯤 comes right after the noun; the particle 에 follows it.
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All TOPIK grammar- -께-께 is the honorific form of 에게/한테: 'to' a person you respect.
- -씩-씩 after an amount means 'each' or 'at a time': the same amount for every person or every unit.
- -께서-께서 is the honorific subject particle: it replaces 이/가 when the subject is someone you respect.
- -마다Attached to a noun, 마다 means "every" or "each": the same thing happens with every one of those times, people, or places.
- -밖에-밖에 means 'only / nothing but' and is always followed by a negative verb.
- -보다보다 attaches to the thing you measure against, like English "than": X is more (or less) than the noun with 보다.
- -처럼/같이Attached to a noun, 처럼/같이 mean 'like N': something looks, acts or is done the same way as N.
- -에게로Marks a person or animal as the direction or destination of a movement: 'toward, to (someone)'. Mostly written or narrative; in speech 한테로.
- -에게서/한테서-에게서/한테서 marks the person something comes from: 'from (someone)'.