Korean Making Plans Vocabulary약속 잡기

appointment / plan / promise

내일 약속이 있어요.I have plans tomorrow.

💡 Memory tip: 約 (to pledge) + 束 (to bind) — a "binding pledge." 약속 covers both a promise and an appointment/plans (약속 있어요? = "Do you have plans?").

Pronunciation: The ㄱ in 약 is pronounced [k] before ㅅ. 약속 sounds like [yakssok].

time

시간이 없어요.I don't have time.

💡 Memory tip: 시(時, hour/time) is the same 시 used to tell the hour: 한 시 (1 o'clock), 두 시 (2 o'clock). 시간 = the span of those hours.

place / location

만날 장소를 정해요.Let's decide on a meeting place.

💡 Memory tip: 장(場, place/field) + 소(所, spot) — a doubled "place" word. The 장 also appears in 시장 (market) and 운동장 (playground).

weekend

주말에 뭐 해요?What are you doing on the weekend?

💡 Memory tip: "Ju-mal" -- 주 means week, 말 means end. The end of the week!

next

다음 주에 만나요.Let's meet next week.

💡 Memory tip: Put it before a time word for "next ~": 다음 주 (next week), 다음 달 (next month), 다음 번 (next time).

together

같이 밥 먹을까요?Shall we eat together?

💡 Memory tip: Built from 같다 (to be the same) — doing something "the same way," i.e. together. Note it is pronounced [가치], not [가티] (palatalization).

Pronunciation: 같이 is pronounced [가치] due to palatalization of ㅌ before 이.

to meet

친구를 만나요.I'm meeting a friend.

💡 Memory tip: Takes 를/을: 친구를 만나다 (meet a friend) — note Korean uses the object marker, not "with," so it is literally "to meet a friend."

to play / to hang out

주말에 같이 놀아요!Let's hang out together on the weekend!

💡 Memory tip: Means "to play / hang out," not just for kids — adults 놀다 too (meet up, relax). It is a ㄹ verb: the ㄹ drops before ㄴ/ㅂ/ㅅ endings (노세요, 놉니다).

Pronunciation: The ㄹ batchim is pronounced as a light [l]. 놀다 sounds like [nolda].

to invite

친구를 집에 초대했어요.I invited my friend to my house.

💡 Memory tip: 초대 (invitation) + 하다 (to do). The noun 초대장 means "invitation card."

to prepare

파티를 준비하고 있어요.I'm preparing for the party.

💡 Memory tip: 준비 (preparation) + 하다 (to do) = to prepare. The noun 준비 stands alone too: 준비 됐어요? = "Are you ready?"

to promise / to make plans

다음 주에 만나기로 약속했어요.We promised to meet next week.

💡 Memory tip: 약속 (promise/plan) + 하다 (to do) — to "make a promise." The verb form of the noun 약속 you already learned.

to be busy

요즘 너무 바빠요.I'm so busy these days.

💡 Memory tip: "Bap-peu-da" -- so busy you barely have time to eat 밥 (bap = rice/meal)!

Pronunciation: ㅃ is a tense consonant -- press your lips together tightly before releasing.

when

언제 시간 돼요?When are you free?

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