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HOW TO TELL TIME IN KOREAN
This is an essential lesson you NEED to bookmark: how to tell time in Korean.
We’ll start by helping you brush up your knowledge about numbers, and move on to how to ask for and how to give the time in Korean.
NUMBERS REVIEW
To learn how to tell the time in Korean, it’s important to know about numbers in Korean.
In Korean, there are two types of number system: 1) Native Korean (Korean System) and 2) Sino-Korean (Chinese System).
In Korean, hours are expressed in Native Korean numbers, while minutes are done in Sino-Korean numbers.
For the hour a contraction form, instead of the original form, is used. For this lesson on Korean time, you could use the table below as a reference:
| Numeral | Native Korean (Korean System) | Native Korean Contraction form | Sino-Korean (Chinese System) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 (hana) | 한 (han) | 일 (il) |
| 2 | 둘 (dul) | 두 (du) | 이 (i) |
| 3 | 셋 (set) | 세 (se) | 삼 (sam) |
| 4 | 넷 (net) | 네 (ne) | 사 (sa) |
| 5 | 다섯 (daseot) | 다섯 (daseot) | 오 (o) |
| 6 | 여섯 (yeoseot) | 여섯 (yeoseot) | 육 (yuk) |
| 7 | 일곱 (ilgop) | 일곱 (ilgop) | 칠 (chil) |
| 8 | 여덟 (yeodeol) | 여덟 (yeodeol) | 팔 (pal) |
| 9 | 아홉 (ahob) | 아홉 (ahob) | 구 (gu) |
| 10 | 열 (yeol) | 열 (yeol) | 십 (sip) |
| 11 | 열하나 (yeolhana) | 열한 (yeolhana) | 십일 (sibil) |
| 12 | 열둘 (yeoldul) | 열두 (yeoldu) | 십이 (sibi) |
| 13 | 십삼 (sipsam) | ||
| 14 | 십사 (sipsa) | ||
| 15 | 십오 (sibo) | ||
| 16 | 십육 (sibyuk) | ||
| 17 | 십칠 (sipchil) | ||
| 18 | 십팔 (sip-pal) | ||
| 19 | 십구 (sipgu) | ||
| 20 | 이십 (isip) | ||
| 30 | 삼십 (samsip) | ||
| 40 | 사십 (sasip) | ||
| 50 | 오십 (osip) | ||
| 60 | 육십 (yuksip) |
ASKING FOR THE TIME IN KOREAN
In Korean we do not say ‘what time…’, but instead we say ‘how many time’ to ask the time.
What time is it now?
지금은 몇 시 입니까?
(jigeumeun myeot si ipnikka?)
If we break down the words:
- 몇 is the question word for ‘how many’
- 시 means hour
‘몇 시’ literally means ‘how many hour’, because ‘시’ means hour, but this expression is generally accepted as ‘how many time’.
One could be more precise and formulate the question as following:
What time is it now? => 지금은 몇 시 몇 분 입니까?
(jigeumeun myeot si myeot bun ipnikka?)
Here, ‘몇 시 몇 분 (= how many hour how many minute) is used.
But generally, to ask the time in Korean it is sufficient to say “지금은 몇 시 입니까?”.
GIVING THE TIME IN KOREAN
Answering time in Korean is straightforward: you say the hour, and then the minute.
Just remember to use the right Korean number system for hour and minute!
PATTERN
Hour + Minute + Half
| Hour | Minute | Half |
|---|---|---|
| 시 (si) | 분 (bun) | 반 (ban) |
Examples:
| English | Korean | Romanisation | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| It is 2:00 o’clock exactly | 지금은 두 시 정각 입니다. | jigeumeun du si jeonggak ipnida. | |
| It is 4:55 | 지금은 네 시 오십오 분 입니다. | jigeumeun ne si osibo bun ipnida. | You can also say ‘지금은 다섯 시 오 분 전 입니다’, meaning ‘it is 5 to 5’ |
| It is 7:23 | 지금은 일곱 시 이십삼 분 입니다. | jigeumeun ilgop si isipsam bun ipnida. | |
| It is 6:30 | 지금은 여섯 시 삽십 분 입니다. | jigeumeun yeoseot si sapsip bun ipnida | You can also say ‘지금은 여섯 시 반 입니다’, meaning ‘it is six and half’ |
Morning / Afternoon
Often, it is important to indicate whether it is morning time or afternoon time.
| Morning (AM) | Afternoon (PM) |
|---|---|
|
오전
(ojeon) |
오후
(ohu) |
Examples:
| English | Korean | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
| It is 4:00 PM | 지금은 오후 네 시 입니다. | jigeumeun ohu ne si ipnida. |
| It is 8:24 AM | 지금은 오전 여덟 시 이십사 분 입니다. | jigeumeun ojeon yeoteolp si isipsa bun ipnida. |
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FAQs
How to ask for the time in Korean?
In Korean you ask for the time by asking:
What time is it now?
지금은 몇 시 입니까?
(jigeumeun myeot si ipnikka?)
You can also use 지금은 몇 시 몇 분 입니까? (jigeumeun myeot si myeot bun ipnikka?) that literally means how many hour how many minute?
How to give the time in Korean?
Giving time in Korean is straightforward: you say the hour, and then the minute.
Remember the words:
Hour 시 (si)
Minute 분 (bun)
Half 반 (ban)
Now let’s see some examples:
It is 4:55
지금은 네 시 오십오 분 입니다.
jigeumeun ne si osibo bun ipnida.
It is 6:30
지금은 여섯 시 삽십 분 입니다
jigeumeun yeoseot si sapsip bun ipnida
How to ask for the date in Korean?
There is two ways to ask for the date in Korean:
What date is it today? 오늘은 몇 일 입니까?
What month and date is it today? 오늘은 몇 월 몇 일 입니까?
What are the two Korean numbering systems?
There are two different numbering systems in Korean – native Korean and Sino-Korean.
Native Korean numbering originates from Korea, while Sino-Korean numbering derives from China.
Both systems are commonly used, though in different contexts.
For example, when telling the time, the hour is spoken in native Korean, while the minutes are in Sino-Korean! Confusing right?!
Where to get more free Korean lessons?
You can get more free Korean lessons on our Korean Grammar Bank.
We regularly add more lessons, so make sure to bookmark this page and come back to see what’s new.
Can I learn Korean with LTL Language School?
Yes!
Learn Korean with a professional live teacher online on Flexi Classes, or in person in Seoul, for both group and individual classes.
Feel free to contact us if you need to speak directly with a LTL Student Advisor.