조차
not even
Marks the case you would least expect. Like 밖에, it pulls the sentence toward the negative — and the tone is usually one of dismay.
Build it
Pick a noun
When to use it
조차 attaches to any noun without changing shape, and it replaces 이/가 and 을/를 rather than stacking on them.
The noun it marks is the minimum case — the thing you would have assumed was covered: 물조차 마실 수 없었어요 (I couldn’t even drink water). If even that failed, everything above it failed too.
It sits in negative or unwelcome contexts. A positive sentence with 조차 sounds wrong; there 까지 or 도 is the right particle.
Against 마저, the two are close: 마저 emphasises that the last remaining thing has also gone, while 조차 emphasises that even the least likely case is included.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any noun | 조차 — no change | 물조차 |
| Replaces 이/가 | not both | 물조차 — not 물이조차 |
| Replaces 을/를 | not both | 이름조차 — not 이름을조차 |
| Context | negative or unwelcome | 물조차 없었어요 |
| Positive contexts take | 까지, 도 | 선물까지 받았어요 |
| Close relative | 마저 | 마지막 하나마저 |
In use
너무 아파서 물조차 마실 수 없었어요.
I was so ill I couldn’t even drink water.
그 사람은 제 이름조차 기억하지 못했어요.
He couldn’t even remember my name.
가족조차 그 사실을 몰랐다.
Not even his family knew about it.
시간이 없어서 아침조차 못 먹었어요.
I was so pressed for time I couldn’t even eat breakfast.
상상조차 하기 어려운 일이었어요.
It was something hard even to imagine.
그때는 걷는 것조차 힘들었어요.
Back then even walking was difficult.
Compared with
마저
Both mean “even,” but 마저 stresses that the last one has gone too, while 조차 stresses that the least likely case is included.
물조차 없었어요. (not even water) / 마지막 희망마저 사라졌어요. (even the last hope)
까지
까지 works in both directions and is at home in good news. 조차 is restricted to the negative.
선물까지 받았어요. (I even got a present) / 인사조차 못 했어요. (I couldn’t even say hello)
도
도 simply adds an item; 조차 adds it while marking it as the extreme case. The emotional weight is quite different.
물도 없었어요. (there was no water either) / 물조차 없었어요. (there wasn’t even water)
Watch out
생일에 선물조차 받았어요.
생일에 선물까지 받았어요.
조차 belongs to negative and unwelcome contexts. For a pleasant addition, use 까지 or 도.
그 사람은 제 이름을조차 몰랐어요.
그 사람은 제 이름조차 몰랐어요.
조차 takes the place of 을/를 and 이/가 rather than sitting after them.
물조차 마실 수 있었어요.
물조차 마실 수 없었어요.
The sentence needs to be negative. Without that, the “not even” reading collapses.
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