Welcome to this complete guide on Korean words for time! Whether you’re just starting to learn or you’re already getting the hang of it, this tutorial will help you understand how to talk about time in Korean. We’ll cover lots of different time-related words, like hours, days, months, and seasons. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
General Time Reference of the Day
In Korean, similar to English, we have specific words to describe different times of the day. Here are some common ones:
AM
오전 (o jeon)
PM
오후 (o hu)
Morning
아침 (a chim)
Evening
저녁 (jeo nyeok)
Night
밤 (bam)
Dawn
새벽 (sae byeok)
오전 AM Vs. 아침 Morning & 오후 PM Vs. 저녁 Evening
Both words have the same meaning, “morning,” but “아침” (achim) is used for the early morning, like when you’re heading to work or having breakfast. “오전” (ojeon) covers the early morning up until noon.
The second set of words, “오후” (ohu) and “저녁” (jeonyeok), both mean “afternoon” in English, but they have different meanings. “오후” (ohu) usually refers to the time between noon and about five or six in the afternoon. “저녁” (jeonyeok), on the other hand, generally means late evening, around seven o’clock when you might have dinner.
Days of the Week
Monday
월요일 (wol yo il)
Tuesday
화요일 (hwa yo il)
Wednesday
수요일 (su yo il)
Thursday
목요일 (mok yo il)
Friday
금요일 (geum yo il)
Saturday
토요일 (to yo il)
Sunday
일요일 (il yo il)
Hours in Korean
When discussing time in Korean, there’s a customary practice of using native Korean numbers for hours and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes. Here’s how you can express time following this convention:
Hour (native Korean numbers) + 시 (si) + Minute (Sino-Korean numbers) + 분 (bun)
For example:
- 3:45 PM: 세 시 사십오 분 (se si sasib-o bun)
- 8:20 AM: 여덟 시 이십 분 (yeodeol si isip bun)
This combination maintains clarity and ease of understanding in time expressions.
1 o’clock
한 시 (han shi)
2 o’clock
두 시 (du shi)
3 o’clock
세 시 (se shi)
4 o’clock
네 시 (ne shi)
5 o’clock
다섯 시 (daseot shi)
6 o’clock
여섯 시 (yeoseot shi)
7 o’clock
일곱 시 (ilgop shi)
8 o’clock
여덟 시 (yeodeol shi)
9 o’clock
아홉 시 (ahop shi)
10 o’clock
열 시 (yeol shi)
11 o’clock
열한 시 (yeolhan shi)
12 o’clock
열두 시 (yeoldu shi)
Minutes in Korean
5 minutes
5분 오분 (o bun)
10 minutes
10분 십분 (sib bun)
15 minutes
15분 십오분 (sib o bun)
28 minutes
28분 이십팔분 (i sib pal bun)
42 minutes
42분 사십이분 (sa sib i bun)
45 minutes
45분 사십오분 (sa sib o bun)
51 minutes
51분 오십일분 (o sib il bun)
57 minutes
57분 오십칠분 (o sib chil bun)
Tell Day and Time in Korean
오늘은 무슨 요일이에요?(oneureun museun yoil-ieyo)
오늘은 화요일이에요. (oneureun hwayoil-ieyo)
몇 시예요? (myeot si yeyo)
지금 몇 시예요? (jigeum myeot siyeyo)
몇 시에 만나요? (myeot sie mannayo)
몇 시에 가요?(myeot sie gayo)
몇 시에 먹어요? (myeot sie meogeoyo)
지금은 12시예요. (jigeumeun yeoldusiyeyo)
열시 사십오분이예요. (yeolsi sasibobuniyeyo)
지금은 오전 여덟 시 삼십사분이예요. (jigeumeun ojeon yeodolsi samsibsabun-iiyeyo)
We are going to meet at 6:20 PM.
우리는 오후 여섯 시 이십분에 만나요. (wurineun ohu yeoseot shi isib bune mannayo)
Months of the Year
Check out this blog below to discover more about expressing the months in Korean. It offers detailed explanations and examples to help you grasp how to talk about the months of the year in the Korean language.
In conclusion, understanding time-related vocabulary in Korean is essential for effective communication in everyday conversations. From expressing hours and days to discussing months and seasons, mastering these terms enriches your language skills and enhances your ability to engage with others in Korean. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate learner, incorporating these time expressions into your language repertoire will undoubtedly broaden your linguistic horizons and facilitate smoother interactions in Korean-speaking environments. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find yourself confidently navigating discussions about time in Korean!
