마저
even the last one
Says the final remaining thing has gone too. Close to 조차, but the emphasis falls on exhaustion rather than on unlikelihood.
Build it
Pick a noun
When to use it
마저 attaches to any noun without changing shape, and replaces 이/가 and 을/를 rather than stacking on them.
The picture behind it is a series being used up. Others have already gone, and now this one has followed: 마지막 희망마저 사라졌어요. There is a note of “and now there’s nothing left.”
Like 조차, it lives in unwelcome contexts. The difference is subtle: 조차 says even the least likely case is included, while 마저 says even the last one has gone.
Note that 마저 also exists as an adverb meaning “to the end” — 마저 드세요 means “finish eating it.” Same spelling, different word.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any noun | 마저 — no change | 희망마저 |
| Replaces 이/가 | not both | 희망마저 — not 희망이마저 |
| Replaces 을/를 | not both | 친구마저 — not 친구를마저 |
| Context | unwelcome | 친구마저 떠났어요 |
| Emphasis | the last one gone | others went first |
| Different word | 마저 = to the end | 남은 것 마저 드세요 |
In use
마지막 희망마저 사라졌어요.
Even the last hope has gone.
이제는 친구마저 제 말을 믿지 않아요.
Now even my friends don’t believe me.
비가 오는데 바람마저 불기 시작했어요.
It’s raining, and now the wind has picked up too.
몸이 아픈데 일마저 밀렸어요.
I’m unwell, and on top of that the work has piled up.
전기마저 끊겨서 아무것도 할 수 없었다.
Even the electricity was cut off, so nothing could be done.
남은 음식 마저 드세요.
Do finish off the rest of the food.
Compared with
조차
조차 marks the case you would least expect to be affected; 마저 marks the last one in a series that has already been depleted.
물조차 없었어요. (not even water) / 마지막 하나마저 없어졌어요. (even the last one has gone)
까지
까지 handles good news and bad alike; 마저 is restricted to the unwelcome. Adding 마저 to a happy sentence sounds wrong.
선물까지 받았어요. (I even got a present) / 친구마저 떠났어요. (even my friend left)
도
도 simply adds; 마저 adds while marking it as the last straw. The emotional weight is much heavier.
바람도 불어요. (the wind’s blowing too) / 바람마저 불어요. (and now the wind as well)
Watch out
생일에 케이크마저 받아서 기뻤어요.
생일에 케이크까지 받아서 기뻤어요.
마저 belongs to unwelcome contexts. For a pleasant addition, use 까지 or 도.
이제는 친구를마저 믿을 수 없어요.
이제는 친구마저 믿을 수 없어요.
마저 takes the place of 을/를 and 이/가 rather than sitting after them.
아침에 물마저 마셨어요.
아침에 물조차 못 마셨어요.
Both particles need an unwelcome frame. Here the point is that even water was impossible, which calls for 조차 and a negative.
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