Korean Words for Describing Time and Dates

Learning how to describe time and dates is an essential part of mastering any language, and Korean is no exception. Understanding how to talk about days, weeks, months, and years will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Korean. This article will guide you through the fundamental Korean words and phrases related to time and dates, helping you build a solid foundation for your language learning journey.

Days of the Week

In Korean, the days of the week are based on a combination of Sino-Korean numbers and elements from East Asian culture. Here are the days of the week in Korean:

1. **Monday** – 월요일 (wol-yo-il)
2. **Tuesday** – 화요일 (hwa-yo-il)
3. **Wednesday** – 수요일 (su-yo-il)
4. **Thursday** – 목요일 (mok-yo-il)
5. **Friday** – 금요일 (geum-yo-il)
6. **Saturday** – 토요일 (to-yo-il)
7. **Sunday** – 일요일 (il-yo-il)

Each day ends with “요일” (yo-il), which means “day.” The first part of each word is derived from classical elements and planetary influences.

Months of the Year

The names of the months in Korean are relatively straightforward. They are based on the Sino-Korean numbers followed by the word for month, “월” (wol). Here are the months of the year in Korean:

1. **January** – 일월 (il-wol)
2. **February** – 이월 (i-wol)
3. **March** – 삼월 (sam-wol)
4. **April** – 사월 (sa-wol)
5. **May** – 오월 (o-wol)
6. **June** – 유월 (yu-wol)
7. **July** – 칠월 (chil-wol)
8. **August** – 팔월 (pal-wol)
9. **September** – 구월 (gu-wol)
10. **October** – 시월 (si-wol)
11. **November** – 십일월 (sip-il-wol)
12. **December** – 십이월 (sip-i-wol)

Seasons

Understanding the seasons is another crucial aspect of describing time. Here are the four seasons in Korean:

1. **Spring** – 봄 (bom)
2. **Summer** – 여름 (yeo-reum)
3. **Autumn** – 가을 (ga-eul)
4. **Winter** – 겨울 (gyeo-ul)

Units of Time

When talking about time, it’s essential to know how to refer to different units. Here are some basic time-related words in Korean:

1. **Second** – 초 (cho)
2. **Minute** – 분 (bun)
3. **Hour** – 시간 (si-gan)
4. **Day** – 일 (il)
5. **Week** – 주 (ju)
6. **Month** – 달 (dal) or 월 (wol)
7. **Year** – 년 (nyeon)

Telling Time

Telling time in Korean requires understanding both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats. Here are some key phrases and vocabulary to help you tell time:

1. **O’clock** – 시 (si)
2. **Minute** – 분 (bun)
3. **AM** – 오전 (o-jeon)
4. **PM** – 오후 (o-hu)

To say “It’s 3 o’clock,” you would say “세 시예요” (se si-ye-yo). If you want to specify the minutes, you can add 분 (bun) after the number of minutes. For example, “It’s 3:15” would be “세 시 십오 분이에요” (se si sip-o bun-i-e-yo).

Examples

– **1:00 AM** – 오전 한 시 (o-jeon han si)
– **2:30 PM** – 오후 두 시 삼십 분 (o-hu du si sam-sip bun)
– **6:45 PM** – 오후 여섯 시 사십오 분 (o-hu yeo-seot si sa-sip-o bun)

Dates

When talking about dates in Korean, the format is typically year, month, day. Here are some key phrases and vocabulary to help you talk about dates:

1. **Year** – 년 (nyeon)
2. **Month** – 월 (wol)
3. **Day** – 일 (il)
4. **Today** – 오늘 (o-neul)
5. **Tomorrow** – 내일 (nae-il)
6. **Yesterday** – 어제 (eo-je)

Examples

– **January 1, 2023** – 이천이십삼 년 일월 일일 (i-cheon-i-sip-sam nyeon il-wol il-il)
– **December 25, 2023** – 이천이십삼 년 십이월 이십오일 (i-cheon-i-sip-sam nyeon sip-i-wol i-sip-o il)

Relative Time Expressions

Relative time expressions are useful for everyday conversation. Here are some common expressions:

1. **Now** – 지금 (ji-geum)
2. **Later** – 나중에 (na-jung-e)
3. **Soon** – 곧 (got)
4. **Before** – 전에 (jeon-e)
5. **After** – 후에 (hu-e)
6. **Recently** – 최근에 (choe-geun-e)
7. **In the past** – 과거에 (gwa-geo-e)
8. **In the future** – 미래에 (mi-rae-e)

Frequency Expressions

Talking about how often something happens is another crucial aspect of describing time. Here are some common frequency expressions in Korean:

1. **Always** – 항상 (hang-sang)
2. **Usually** – 보통 (bo-tong)
3. **Often** – 자주 (ja-ju)
4. **Sometimes** – 가끔 (ga-kkeum)
5. **Rarely** – 드물게 (deu-mul-ge)
6. **Never** – 절대 (jeol-dae)

Practice Sentences

To help you get comfortable with these new words, here are some practice sentences:

1. **오늘은 월요일이에요.** (o-neul-eun wol-yo-il-i-e-yo.) – Today is Monday.
2. **내일은 화요일이에요.** (nae-il-eun hwa-yo-il-i-e-yo.) – Tomorrow is Tuesday.
3. **이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요?** (i-beon ju-mal-e mwo hal geo-ye-yo?) – What are you doing this weekend?
4. **저는 여름을 좋아해요.** (jeo-neun yeo-reum-eul jo-a-hae-yo.) – I like summer.
5. **지금 몇 시예요?** (ji-geum myeot si-ye-yo?) – What time is it now?
6. **저는 항상 아침에 운동해요.** (jeo-neun hang-sang a-chim-e un-dong-hae-yo.) – I always exercise in the morning.
7. **저는 가끔 영화 봐요.** (jeo-neun ga-kkeum yeong-hwa bwa-yo.) – I sometimes watch movies.
8. **이천이십삼 년 십이월 십오일이에요.** (i-cheon-i-sip-sam nyeon sip-i-wol sip-o il-i-e-yo.) – It’s December 15, 2023.

Conclusion

Mastering the vocabulary and expressions related to time and dates in Korean is an essential step for any language learner. By familiarizing yourself with these words and phrases, you’ll be better equipped to handle everyday conversations and understand more complex topics. Practice regularly, use these expressions in your daily life, and soon enough, talking about time and dates in Korean will become second nature. Happy learning!