#approximate particle

Approximate Amount Particle

Adding 쯤 to numbers/quantities/time indicated that the amount is an approximation.

~ 파티에 20명쯤 왔어요 (meaning “about 20 people came to the party”)

*When talking about prices, -쯤 하다 is used (although the less common 쯤이다 can be used as well)

~ For example, you could ask "사과가 요즘 얼마쯤 해요?" to which the response may be "요즘 3개에 2000원쯤 해요."

Simile Particle

처럼/같이 is used to express that something/an action is the same or very similar to the noun that precedes it.

~ 미스코리아처럼 예뻐요 would mean “[She is] as pretty as Miss Korea” 

Standard of Comparison Particle

보다 is added to a noun to indicate that it is the standard by which a comparison will be/is made. It’s English equivalent would be “more ... than” or “-er than”. The adverbs 더 and 덜 are usually used with 보다 but they can be omitted as well.

~여름보다 봄을 더 좋아해요 (meaning “[I] like spring more than summer

*the order of the subject and the 보다 noun can be reversed without changing the meaning

“Every” Particle

When added to time nouns, 마다 corresponds to “every” or “once every” in English and therefore expresses the repetition of an event over a period of time. When added to other words in other contexts, it is used to describe all of something with no exceptions (expressed in English with the words “every” or “all”).

*날마다, 일주일마다, 달마다, and 해마다 can also be written as 매일, 매주, 매월/매달, 매년