TOPIK 3The official curriculum files 쯤 in its word list, as a level 3 suffix.
쯤 (jjeum) means "about, around".
Means 'about', 'around', or 'approximately'.
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- Attaches straight to the word. Same after a consonant or a vowel.
Build it
When to use it
Times and dates
Roughly when.
Amounts
Roughly how much or how many.
Places
Roughly where.
About this much
이쯤 ijjeum, "around here" or "about this much".
Watch out
No space before 쯤 jjeum.
It comes after the number, not before like "around".
In context
8 examples- 1
2시쯤 만나요.
2sijjeum mannayo.
Let's meet around 2 o'clock.
- 2
얼마쯤 해요?
Eolmajjeum haeyo?
About how much is it?
- 3
다섯 시쯤 퇴근할 것 같아요.
Daseot sijjeum toegeunhal geot gatayo.
I think I'll get off work around five.
- 4
집에서 학교까지 30분쯤 걸려요.
Jibeseo hakgyokkaji 30bunjjeum geollyeoyo.
It takes about 30 minutes from home to school.
- 5
이번 주말쯤 이사할 거예요.
Ibeon jumaljjeum isahal geoyeyo.
I'm moving sometime around this weekend.
- 6
어디쯤 왔어?
Eodijjeum wasseo?
How close are you?
- 7
열 명쯤 올 것 같아.
Yeol myeongjjeum ol geot gata.
I think about ten people are coming.
- 8
이쯤이면 충분해요.
Ijjeumimyeon chungbunhaeyo.
That's enough.
Practice
8 questions쯤 세 시에 만나요.
Jjeum se sie mannayo.
Let's meet around three.
쯤 vs 정도
정도 jeongdo also means "about". It's a noun, so it's written with a space. In practice, 쯤 is most at home with points in time, and 정도 is the more common pick for how long or how much, though 쯤 works there too:
- 세 시쯤 만나요. se sijjeum mannayo "Let's meet around three."
- 한 시간 정도 걸려요. han sigan jeongdo geollyeoyo "It takes about an hour."
Both are understood either way, so don't worry too much. But if you follow that pattern, you'll sound natural.
지금쯤: "by now"
With 지금 jigeum · now, 쯤 means "by now", for something you're guessing has happened:
- 지금쯤 도착했을 거예요. jigeumjjeum dochakaesseul geoyeyo "She should have arrived by now."
In writing: 약
News and formal writing put 약 yak, "approximately", before the number instead: 약 천 명 yak cheon myeong, "approximately a thousand people". In speech, 쯤 after the number is far more common.
Hanja in this lesson
Words from the examples that are written with Chinese characters. Tap a character to see its page.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 쯤 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.
