Grammar
마다
Meaning
Beginnermada
Attaches directly to a noun to mean 'every ~' or 'each ~', emphasizing that something is true or happens without exception at every instance of that noun (e.g. 날마다 'every day', 사람마다 'each person, individually').
Form
Noun + 마다, with no batchim distinction — it attaches the same way regardless of the noun's final sound. Very common with time nouns (해마다 'every year', 달마다 'every month', 아침마다 'every morning') and also with countable nouns to mean 'each, individually' (사람마다 다르다 'it differs from person to person'). The predicate that follows carries whatever tense fits the sentence.
Examples
최저임금위원회는 해마다 회의를 합니다.
The Minimum Wage Commission holds a meeting every year.
사람마다 생각이 다릅니다.
Each person thinks differently.
아침마다 운동을 합니다.
I exercise every morning.
지하철은 5분마다 옵니다.
The subway comes every 5 minutes.
Common mistakes & nuance
마다 attaches only to a noun. For 'every time (a certain event) happens', a verb clause is needed instead — see -을/ㄹ 때마다.
Similar grammar
- -을/ㄹ 때마다
-을/ㄹ 때마다 attaches to a verb clause and means 'every time (something happens)' (만날 때마다 'every time we meet'), while plain 마다 attaches directly to a noun and means 'every/each (noun)' (주말마다 'every weekend').