Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 3 - Korean for Beginners #2 (Lessons 61 to 90) ᚛ Lesson 68 - Approximation, around in Korean [쯤] [정도] [약]

Approximation, around in Korean [쯤] [정도] [약]

In this course: 쯤 / 정도 / 약

In Korean, approximation, for which we use structures like "about", "around", or "roughly" in English, can be expressed in different ways.

Approximation with 쯤

The particle 쯤 is used to indicate an approximation. It is used just after the noun to which it refers, in the following manner:
[Noun]쯤

언제쯤 도착해요?
→ When are you arriving, roughly?

6월 중순쯤부터 더워.
→ After about the middle of June, It's hot.

작년 말쯤에 이사했습니다.
→ I moved around the end of last year.

다음주쯤에 다시 병원 오세요.
→ Please come back to the hospital around next week.

Approximation with 정도

In order to express approximation in Korean, it is also possible to use the word 정도.

Note that, unlike the particle 쯤, 정도 is in itself an entire word, used in the following way:
[Noun] 정도

1시간 정도 걸려요.
→ That takes around an hour.

이 돈으로는 책 두 권 정도밖에 살 수 없어.
→ With this money, you can't buy anything but around two books.

일주일에 한 두 번 정도 친구들을 만나요.
→ I meet my friends around once or twice per week.

Approximation with 약

Differences between 쯤, 정도, and 약

Exercises

You already know some vocabulary and sentence structures… But when you listen to Koreans speak, do you ever feel like something is missing, the meaning behind the words, the cultural nuance that makes the language truly come alive?

That’s completely normal. In Korean, proverbs and idiomatic expressions are essential to understanding how Koreans think and communicate. Without them, you can speak, but your language will feel flat and overly literal.

With 100 Korean Proverbs - Illustrated and Explained, you’ll understand not only what Koreans say, but why they say it, and what each expression reveals about their mindset and culture.

Learn more

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