Korean Time & Dates Vocabulary시간과 날짜

today

오늘 뭐 해요?What are you doing today?

💡 Memory tip: Anchor the time trio together: 어제 (yesterday) → 오늘 (today) → 내일 (tomorrow).

tomorrow

내일 만나요!See you tomorrow!

💡 Memory tip: The day after 오늘. 내(來, coming) + 일(日, day) — literally "the coming day."

yesterday

어제 뭐 했어요?What did you do yesterday?

💡 Memory tip: The day before 오늘. Note it pairs with past tense: 어제 했어요 (did yesterday).

now

지금 몇 시예요?What time is it now?

💡 Memory tip: 지(只, just) + 금(今, now) — "just this moment." The 금 here also appears in 금방 (in a moment).

o'clock / hour

세 시에 만나요.Let's meet at 3 o'clock.

💡 Memory tip: 시 = the "hour" counter (from 時, time). Remember: 시 takes native numbers (한 시, 두 시), but 분 takes Sino numbers.

Pronunciation: Hours use native Korean numbers: 한 시 (1:00), 두 시 (2:00), 세 시 (3:00), 네 시 (4:00)...

minute

두 시 삼십 분이에요.It's 2:30.

💡 Memory tip: 분 = the "minute" counter (from 分, divide) — a minute is a division of the hour. Takes Sino numbers (십 분, 삼십 분).

Pronunciation: Minutes use Sino-Korean numbers: 십 분 (10 min), 이십 분 (20 min), 삼십 분 (30 min)

morning / breakfast

아침에 커피를 마셔요.I drink coffee in the morning.

💡 Memory tip: One word covers both "morning" and "breakfast" — the meal that defines the time of day. Compare 저녁 (evening/dinner).

Pronunciation: 아침 means both "morning" and "breakfast" — context tells you which!

lunch / midday

점심 먹었어요?Did you eat lunch?

💡 Memory tip: Asking "점심 먹었어요?" is a common Korean greeting — like saying "How are you?"

evening / dinner

저녁에 같이 먹어요.Let's eat together in the evening.

💡 Memory tip: Like 아침, one word for both "evening" and "dinner." Daily set: 아침 / 점심 / 저녁.

Pronunciation: Like 아침, 저녁 means both "evening" and "dinner"

Monday

월요일에 수업이 있어요.I have class on Monday.

💡 Memory tip: 월(月, moon) + 요일 (day-of-week) = "moon day" = Monday — exactly like English Mon(moon)day!

Pronunciation: Days of the week: 월(Mon) 화(Tue) 수(Wed) 목(Thu) 금(Fri) 토(Sat) 일(Sun) + 요일

weekend

주말에 뭐 해요?What do you do on the weekend?

💡 Memory tip: 주(週, week) + 말(末, end) — literally "week-end," the same logic as English.

appointment / promise

내일 약속이 있어요.I have an appointment tomorrow.

💡 Memory tip: 약(約, pact) + 속(束, bind) — a "binding pact." That's why it means both "promise" and "appointment."

Pronunciation: 약속 means both "appointment" and "promise" — a promise IS an appointment in Korean thinking

when

언제 시간 있어요?When do you have time?

💡 Memory tip: A "when"-question word. Group the wh-words: 언제 (when), 어디 (where), 누구 (who), 뭐 (what).