Telling time and dates

Ask 지금 몇 시예요? (jigeum myeot siyeyo, "What time is it now?"). Answers use native numbers for the hour and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes: 세 시예요 (se siyeyo, "It's three"), 세 시 이십 분이에요 (se si isip bunieyo, "It's 3:20"). Add 실례지만 (sillyejiman, "excuse me, but") in front to be extra polite.

By convention, Korean uses native numbers for the hour and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes and seconds. So 7:15 is 일곱 시 십오 분 (ilgop si sibo bun). It feels odd at first, but it's a fixed rule, so a little practice makes it natural.

반 (ban) means "half," so it stands for 30 minutes. 두 시 반 (du si ban) is 2:30. In everyday speech, 두 시 반 is more common than 두 시 삼십 분. When making plans, you might say 여섯 시 반에 만나요 (yeoseot si bane mannayo, "Let's meet at 6:30").

Use 오전 (ojeon) for a.m. and 오후 (ohu) for p.m., placed before the time: 오전 열 시 (ojeon yeol si, 10 a.m.), 오후 세 시 (ohu se si, 3 p.m.). In conversation, people also use time-of-day words instead, like 아침 여덟 시 (achim yeodeol si, 8 in the morning) or 저녁 일곱 시 (jeonyeok ilgop si, 7 in the evening).

Written schedules such as train tickets, flight times and business hours often use the 24-hour format. In speech, though, people usually use the 12-hour clock with 오전 or 오후, as in 오후 세 시 (ohu se si, 3 p.m.). If a ticket says 15:00, that means 3 p.m., so double-check to avoid confusion.

Korean dates go from largest to smallest: year, month, day. November 14, 2026 is 2026년 11월 14일, read 이천이십육 년 십일 월 십사 일 (icheonisimnyuk nyeon sibil wol sipsa il). All parts use Sino-Korean numbers, and documents often write it as 2026.11.14. Since the order differs from some countries, be careful when booking.

Months are Sino-Korean numbers plus 월 (wol): 일월 (irwol, January), 이월 (iwol, February), 삼월 (samwol, March) and so on. Two are irregular: June is 유월 (yuwol), not 육월, and October is 시월 (siwol), not 십월. Once you remember those two, the rest follow the rule.

Monday to Sunday are 월요일 (woryoil), 화요일 (hwayoil), 수요일 (suyoil), 목요일 (mogyoil), 금요일 (geumyoil), 토요일 (toyoil) and 일요일 (iryoil). To ask what day it is, say 무슨 요일이에요? (museun yoirieyo). Calendars often abbreviate them to the first syllable: 월, 화, 수 and so on.

Yesterday is 어제 (eoje), today is 오늘 (oneul), tomorrow is 내일 (naeil) and the day after tomorrow is 모레 (more). The day before yesterday is 그저께 (geujeokke). Use them at the start of a sentence, as in 내일 봐요 (naeil bwayo, "See you tomorrow") or 오늘 시간 있어요? (oneul sigan isseoyo, "Are you free today?").

This week is 이번 주 (ibeon ju), next week is 다음 주 (daeum ju) and last week is 지난주 (jinanju). Months work similarly: 이번 달 (ibeon dal), 다음 달 (daeum dal). For years, say 작년 (jangnyeon, last year), 올해 (olhae, this year) and 내년 (naenyeon, next year). The weekend is 주말 (jumal).

Yes. 아침 (achim), 점심 (jeomsim) and 저녁 (jeonyeok) mean morning, midday and evening, and also breakfast, lunch and dinner. So 저녁 먹었어요? (jeonyeok meogeosseoyo) means "Did you have dinner?" 밤 (bam) is night, and 새벽 (saebyeok) refers to the early hours before dawn.

두 시 (du si) is the time 2 o'clock, while 두 시간 (du sigan) is a duration of two hours. For how long something takes, use 시간: 한 시간 걸려요 (han sigan geollyeoyo, "It takes an hour"). Minutes use 분 (bun) for both clock time and duration, as in 삼십 분 걸려요 (samsip bun geollyeoyo, "It takes 30 minutes").

Ask 오늘 몇 월 며칠이에요? (oneul myeot wol myeochirieyo, "What's the date today?"). Note that 며칠 (myeochil, "what day") is spelled as one word, not 몇 일. Answer like 십일 월 십사 일이에요 (sibil wol sipsa irieyo, "It's November 14"). The same phrase works for birthdays and booking dates.

언제 (eonje) asks about time: 언제예요? (eonjeyeyo, "When is it?") or 언제 와요? (eonje wayo, "When are you coming?"). It's handy for travel questions like 체크인은 언제부터예요? (chekeuineun eonjebuteoyeyo, "From when is check-in?"). Pair it with 부터 (buteo, from) and 까지 (kkaji, until).

쯤 (jjeum) means "around" or "about." 세 시쯤 만나요 (se sijjeum mannayo) means "Let's meet around 3." It also works with durations: 삼십 분쯤 걸려요 (samsip bunjjeum geollyeoyo, "It takes about 30 minutes"). Since it signals an approximate time, confirm the exact time for important plans.

전 (jeon) means "before" and 후 (hu) means "after." For example, 다섯 시 전에 와 주세요 (daseot si jeone wa juseyo, "Please come before five") and 식사 후에 드세요 (siksa hue deuseyo, "Take it after meals"). 오 분 전 is five minutes before, and 십 분 후 is ten minutes later. In speech, 뒤 (dwi) often replaces 후.

정각 (jeonggak) means "exactly on the hour." 세 시 정각 (se si jeonggak) is exactly 3:00. You may hear 정각에 출발해요 (jeonggage chulbalhaeyo, "It departs right on time") for trains or performances. Public transport in Korea tends to keep to schedule, so give yourself extra time.

Both mean a period of months, but 개월 (gaewol) goes with Sino-Korean numbers and 달 (dal) with native numbers. So three months is 삼 개월 (sam gaewol) or 석 달 (seok dal). Official documents such as visas and contracts usually use 개월. Notice that three becomes 석 before 달.

A week is 일주일 (iljuil), two days is 이틀 (iteul) and three days is 사흘 (saheul). You can also say 이 일 (i il) and 삼 일 (sam il). For trips and hotel stays, Koreans combine 박 (bak, nights) and 일 (il, days): 이 박 삼 일 (i bak sam il) means two nights and three days.

Ask 몇 시에 만날까요? (myeot sie mannalkkayo, "What time shall we meet?") and answer 일곱 시에 만나요 (ilgop sie mannayo, "Let's meet at seven"). Add the place: 일곱 시에 강남역에서 만나요 ("at seven at Gangnam Station"). If you're running late, send 조금 늦을 것 같아요 (jogeum neujeul geot gatayo, "I think I'll be a little late").