Time is an essential aspect of our daily lives, and understanding how to express it in another language is crucial for effective communication. In Korean, time-related vocabulary can be quite different from English, yet it’s fascinating and rich. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to time-related vocabulary in the Korean language, covering everything from basic terms to more complex phrases that will help you navigate through conversations with ease.

Basic Time Units

Before diving into more complex time-related expressions, let’s start with the basics. These are the fundamental units of time, and they form the foundation upon which more advanced vocabulary is built.

Seconds, Minutes, and Hours

In Korean, the words for seconds, minutes, and hours are as follows:

– **Second**: 초 (cho)
– **Minute**: 분 (bun)
– **Hour**: 시간 (sigan)

For example:
– “30 seconds” is 30초 (samship cho)
– “15 minutes” is 15분 (ship-o bun)
– “2 hours” is 2시간 (du sigan)

Days, Weeks, Months, and Years

When it comes to larger units of time, here are the essential words:

– **Day**: 일 (il)
– **Week**: 주 (ju)
– **Month**: 월 (wol)
– **Year**: 년 (nyeon)

For example:
– “One day” is 하루 (haru) or 일일 (il il)
– “One week” is 일주일 (il ju il)
– “One month” is 일개월 (il gae wol)
– “One year” is 일년 (il nyeon)

Parts of the Day

Understanding the different parts of the day is essential for planning and describing activities. Here are some common terms:

– **Morning**: 아침 (achim)
– **Afternoon**: 오후 (ohu)
– **Evening**: 저녁 (jeonyeok)
– **Night**: 밤 (bam)
– **Dawn**: 새벽 (saebyeok)
– **Noon**: 정오 (jeong-o)
– **Midnight**: 자정 (jajeong)

For example:
– “This morning” is 오늘 아침 (oneul achim)
– “This evening” is 오늘 저녁 (oneul jeonyeok)
– “Tonight” is 오늘 밤 (oneul bam)

Days of the Week

Knowing the days of the week is fundamental for scheduling and making plans. Here are the days in Korean:

– **Monday**: 월요일 (wol-yo-il)
– **Tuesday**: 화요일 (hwa-yo-il)
– **Wednesday**: 수요일 (su-yo-il)
– **Thursday**: 목요일 (mok-yo-il)
– **Friday**: 금요일 (geum-yo-il)
– **Saturday**: 토요일 (to-yo-il)
– **Sunday**: 일요일 (il-yo-il)

For example:
– “Next Monday” is 다음 월요일 (daeum wol-yo-il)
– “Last Friday” is 지난 금요일 (jinan geum-yo-il)

Months of the Year

The months in Korean are relatively straightforward. They are simply the numbers 1 through 12 followed by the word for month, 월 (wol):

– **January**: 1월 (il-wol)
– **February**: 2월 (i-wol)
– **March**: 3월 (sam-wol)
– **April**: 4월 (sa-wol)
– **May**: 5월 (o-wol)
– **June**: 6월 (yuk-wol)
– **July**: 7월 (chil-wol)
– **August**: 8월 (pal-wol)
– **September**: 9월 (gu-wol)
– **October**: 10월 (ship-wol)
– **November**: 11월 (ship-il-wol)
– **December**: 12월 (ship-i-wol)

For example:
– “Next January” is 다음 1월 (daeum il-wol)
– “Last December” is 지난 12월 (jinan ship-i-wol)

Seasons

Seasons are another critical aspect of time. In Korean, the seasons are:

– **Spring**: 봄 (bom)
– **Summer**: 여름 (yeoreum)
– **Autumn/Fall**: 가을 (gaeul)
– **Winter**: 겨울 (gyeoul)

For example:
– “Last spring” is 지난 봄 (jinan bom)
– “Next summer” is 다음 여름 (daeum yeoreum)

Telling Time

Telling time in Korean involves understanding the structure of hours and minutes. Here’s how you can construct sentences to tell the time.

Hours and Minutes

To tell the time, you use the native Korean numbers for hours and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes.

– **1 o’clock**: 한 시 (han si)
– **2 o’clock**: 두 시 (du si)
– **3 o’clock**: 세 시 (se si)
– **4 o’clock**: 네 시 (ne si)
– **5 o’clock**: 다섯 시 (daseot si)
– **6 o’clock**: 여섯 시 (yeoseot si)
– **7 o’clock**: 일곱 시 (ilgop si)
– **8 o’clock**: 여덟 시 (yeodeol si)
– **9 o’clock**: 아홉 시 (ahop si)
– **10 o’clock**: 열 시 (yeol si)
– **11 o’clock**: 열한 시 (yeolhan si)
– **12 o’clock**: 열두 시 (yeoldu si)

Minutes are added after the hour:

– **10 minutes**: 십 분 (ship bun)
– **20 minutes**: 이십 분 (i-ship bun)
– **30 minutes**: 삼십 분 (sam-ship bun)
– **40 minutes**: 사십 분 (sa-ship bun)
– **50 minutes**: 오십 분 (o-ship bun)

For example:
– “3:15” is 세 시 십오 분 (se si ship-o bun)
– “8:30” is 여덟 시 삼십 분 (yeodeol si sam-ship bun)

Using AM and PM

In Korean, AM and PM are expressed using 오전 (ojeon) and 오후 (ohu), respectively.

For example:
– “10 AM” is 오전 열 시 (ojeon yeol si)
– “3 PM” is 오후 세 시 (ohu se si)

Relative Time Expressions

Relative time expressions are crucial for understanding and conveying the timing of events. Here are some common expressions:

– **Now**: 지금 (jigeum)
– **Soon**: 곧 (got)
– **Later**: 나중에 (najunge)
– **Before**: 전에 (jeone)
– **After**: 후에 (hue)
– **Yesterday**: 어제 (eoje)
– **Today**: 오늘 (oneul)
– **Tomorrow**: 내일 (naeil)
– **Day after tomorrow**: 모레 (more)
– **Day before yesterday**: 그저께 (geujeokke)

For example:
– “I will do it later” is 나중에 할 거예요 (najunge hal geoyeyo)
– “I saw him yesterday” is 어제 봤어요 (eoje bwasseoyo)

Frequency Expressions

Frequency expressions help you describe how often something happens. Here are some key terms:

– **Always**: 항상 (hangsang)
– **Usually**: 보통 (botong)
– **Often**: 자주 (jaju)
– **Sometimes**: 가끔 (gakkeum)
– **Rarely**: 드물게 (deumulge)
– **Never**: 절대 (jeoldae)

For example:
– “I always eat breakfast” is 저는 항상 아침을 먹어요 (jeoneun hangsang achimeul meogeoyo)
– “She rarely goes to the gym” is 그녀는 드물게 체육관에 가요 (geunyeoneun deumulge cheyukgwane gayo)

Dates

Understanding how to say dates is essential for making appointments and planning events. Dates in Korean use Sino-Korean numbers followed by the word for day, 일 (il).

For example:
– “January 1st” is 1월 1일 (il-wol il-il)
– “December 25th” is 12월 25일 (ship-i-wol i-ship-o-il)

When giving a full date, the structure is year-month-day. For example:
– “March 15, 2022” is 2022년 3월 15일 (i-cheon-i-sip-i-nyeon sam-wol ship-o-il)

Time-Related Verbs

There are several verbs in Korean that are specifically related to time. Here are some important ones:

– **To spend (time)**: 보내다 (bonaeda)
– **To take (time)**: 걸리다 (geollida)
– **To wait**: 기다리다 (gidarida)
– **To start**: 시작하다 (sijakada)
– **To finish**: 끝나다 (kkeutnada)
– **To postpone**: 미루다 (miruda)

For example:
– “I spent two hours studying” is 두 시간 공부했어요 (du sigan gongbuhaesseoyo)
– “It takes 30 minutes” is 삼십 분 걸려요 (sam-ship bun geollyeoyo)

Time-Related Phrases

Here are some useful phrases that incorporate time-related vocabulary:

– **What time is it?**: 몇 시예요? (myeot siyeyo?)
– **It’s time to go**: 갈 시간이에요 (gal siganieyo)
– **See you tomorrow**: 내일 봐요 (naeil bwayo)
– **How long does it take?**: 얼마나 걸려요? (eolmana geollyeoyo?)
– **I’m late**: 늦었어요 (neujeosseoyo)
– **It’s early**: 일러요 (illeoyo)

Idiomatic Expressions

Korean has several idiomatic expressions that involve time. Here are a few:

– **Time flies**: 세월이 빠르다 (sewol-i ppareuda)
– **Better late than never**: 늦더라도 안 하는 것보다는 낫다 (neutdorado an haneun geotbodaneun natda)
– **In the nick of time**: 아슬아슬하게 (aseul-aseulhage)
– **Kill time**: 시간을 때우다 (siganeul ttaeuda)

For example:
– “Time flies when you’re having fun” is 즐거울 때 시간이 빨리 가요 (jeulgeoul ttae sigani ppalli gayo)

Conclusion

Understanding time-related vocabulary in Korean is essential for effective communication and daily living. From basic units of time to complex idiomatic expressions, this guide covers a wide range of terms and phrases that will help you navigate conversations with confidence. Whether you are scheduling a meeting, making plans with friends, or simply telling the time, these vocabulary words and phrases will prove invaluable in your Korean language journey. Happy learning!