Asking & Telling Time in Korean: A Practical Guide

Time governs every interaction, from catching the first train to Busan to scheduling business meetings in Gangnam. Yet most Korean learners struggle with this fundamental skill, creating unnecessary barriers to natural conversation flow. The complexity stems from Korean's dual number system—a linguistic feature that makes time-telling more nuanced than Romance languages but far more logical once understood.

Why does mastering Korean time expressions matter now? Korea's global influence continues expanding, with K-pop generating $12.3 billion annually and Korean dramas reaching 97 countries. Business partnerships between Korean companies and international firms require precise scheduling coordination. More critically, everyday situations—ordering food delivery, booking medical appointments, coordinating meetups—all hinge on accurate time communication.

This guide dissects Korean time-telling through systematic analysis, examining both native Korean and Sino-Korean number applications, practical conversation patterns, and cultural contexts that dictate usage preferences.

Understanding Korean's dual number system for time

Korean time-telling operates on a hybrid system that initially confuses learners but ultimately provides greater precision than single-number-system languages. This duality isn't arbitrary—it reflects centuries of linguistic evolution where native Korean numbers maintained their role for counting discrete objects while Chinese-influenced Sino-Korean numbers handled abstract measurements.

For hours, Korean employs native numbers (하나, 둘, 셋). For minutes and seconds, Sino-Korean numbers dominate (일, 이, 삼). This distinction matters because mixing systems creates immediate comprehension barriers. Native speakers instantly recognize non-native speech patterns when learners incorrectly apply number systems.

The logical foundation becomes clear when examining usage patterns. Native Korean numbers originally counted tangible items—one person, two houses, three bowls. Hours, representing discrete time segments, naturally aligned with this counting method. Minutes and seconds, being subdivisions requiring mathematical precision, adopted the Sino-Korean system used for measurements, distances, and calculations.

Expressing hours in Korean

Hours follow native Korean numbers with crucial modifications that streamline pronunciation. The base word 시 (si) attaches directly to numbers, while 시간 (sigan) indicates duration rather than specific time points.

Understanding when numbers change form eliminates common pronunciation errors:

하나 (hana) becomes 한 (han) + 시 = 한시 (1 o'clock)

둘 (dul) becomes 두 (du) + 시 = 두시 (2 o'clock)

셋 (set) becomes 세 (se) + 시 = 세시 (3 o'clock)

넷 (net) becomes 네 (ne) + 시 = 네시 (4 o'clock)

스물 (seumul) becomes 스무 (seumu) + 시 = 스무시 (20 o'clock)

These contractions exist purely for phonetic efficiency. Korean phonology avoids consonant clusters that create pronunciation difficulties, hence the systematic vowel dropping.

The complete hour system extends from 1 to 24, accommodating both 12-hour and 24-hour formats:

Morning hours (1-12):

한시 (hansi) - 1 o'clock

두시 (dusi) - 2 o'clock

세시 (sesi) - 3 o'clock

네시 (nesi) - 4 o'clock

다섯시 (dasotsi) - 5 o'clock

여섯시 (yeoseotsi) - 6 o'clock

일곱시 (ilgopsi) - 7 o'clock

여덟시 (yeodeolsi) - 8 o'clock

아홉시 (ahopsi) - 9 o'clock

열시 (yeolsi) - 10 o'clock

열한시 (yeoransi) - 11 o'clock

열두시 (yeoldusi) - 12 o'clock

Afternoon/Evening hours (13-24):

열세시 (yeolsesi) - 13 o'clock (1 PM)

열네시 (yeolnesi) - 14 o'clock (2 PM)

열다섯시 (yeoldasotsi) - 15 o'clock (3 PM)

The pattern continues logically through 스물세시 (seumeulsesi) for 23 o'clock. Midnight uses the special term 자정 (jajeong), emphasizing the cultural significance of this temporal boundary.

Minutes and seconds: The Sino-Korean approach

Minutes utilize 분 (bun) with Sino-Korean numbers exclusively. This system requires mastering basic Sino-Korean counting from 1-60, though most practical applications rarely exceed common intervals.

Basic minute increments:

일분 (ilbun) - 1 minute

이분 (ibun) - 2 minutes

삼분 (sambun) - 3 minutes

사분 (sabun) - 4 minutes

오분 (obun) - 5 minutes

십분 (sippun) - 10 minutes

십오분 (siobun) - 15 minutes

이십분 (isipbun) - 20 minutes

삼십분 (samsippun) - 30 minutes

사십분 (sasippun) - 40 minutes

오십분 (osippun) - 50 minutes

For 30 minutes, Korean offers an alternative: 반 (ban), meaning "half." This creates more natural-sounding expressions like 세시반 (sesiban) for 3:30, compared to the more formal 세시 삼십분 (sesi samsippun).

Seconds follow identical Sino-Korean patterns using 초 (cho):

십초 (sipcho) - 10 seconds

이십오초 (isiboCho) - 25 seconds

사십칠초 (sasipchilcho) - 47 seconds

The mathematical precision of Sino-Korean numbers becomes apparent when expressing complex times like 2:37:42, which becomes 두시 삼십칠분 사십이초 (dusi samsipchilbun sasipcho).

AM/PM distinctions and daily time periods

Korean time specification requires understanding cultural perspectives on day division. Unlike English's rigid AM/PM system, Korean uses contextual time periods that reflect traditional daily rhythms.

Primary time indicators:

오전 (ojeon) - AM/morning period

오후 (ohu) - PM/afternoon-evening period

These terms position before the hour: 오전 여덟시 (ojeon yeodeolsi) means 8 AM, while 오후 여덟시 (ohu yeodeolsi) indicates 8 PM.

Extended time vocabulary for precision:

새벽 (saebyeok) - dawn (roughly 3-6 AM)

아침 (achim) - morning (6-10 AM)

오전 (ojeon) - late morning (10 AM-12 PM)

정오 (jeongo) - noon (exactly 12 PM)

오후 (ohu) - afternoon (12-6 PM)

저녁 (jeonyeok) - evening (6-9 PM)

밤 (bam) - night (9 PM-3 AM)

자정 (jajeong) - midnight (exactly 12 AM)

These distinctions matter in professional contexts. Scheduling a meeting for 새벽 다섯시 (saebyeok dasotsi - 5 AM dawn) carries different implications than 오전 다섯시 (ojeon dasotsi), though both indicate 5 AM.

Essential time-asking patterns

Korean time questions follow predictable grammatical structures that, once mastered, unlock natural conversation flow. Each pattern serves specific communicative functions that English speakers must distinguish carefully.

몇 시예요? (myeot siyeyo?) - "What time is it?"

This fundamental question uses 몇 (myeot), meaning "how many," combined with 시 (si) for "hour." The response pattern requires hour + 시예요:

Question: 지금 몇 시예요? (jigeum myeot siyeyo?) - "What time is it now?"

Answer: 지금 오후 네시예요. (jigeum ohu nesiyeyo) - "It's 4 PM now."

몇 시에 + [verb]? (myeot sie + [verb]?) - "What time + [action]?"

This pattern inquires about action timing. The response uses time + 에 + verb:

Question: 몇 시에 출발해요? (myeot sie chulbalhaeyo?) - "What time do you depart?"

Answer: 아홉시에 출발해요. (ahopsie chulbalhaeyo) - "I depart at 9 o'clock."

The particle 에 (e) functions as a temporal marker, equivalent to "at" in English but more precisely indicating the exact moment an action occurs.

몇 시간 걸려요? (myeot sigan geollyeoyo?) - "How many hours does it take?"

This duration question uses 시간 (sigan) for "hours" and 걸리다 (geollida) meaning "to take time." Responses follow the pattern: number + 시간 걸려요:

Question: 부산까지 몇 시간 걸려요? (busankkaji myeot sigan geollyeoyo?) - "How many hours does it take to Busan?"

Answer: 세 시간 반 걸려요. (se sigan ban geollyeoyo) - "It takes 3.5 hours."

몇 분 걸려요? (myeot bun geollyeoyo?) - "How many minutes does it take?"

Similar to hours but for shorter durations:

Question: 지하철로 몇 분 걸려요? (jihacheollo myeot bun geollyeoyo?) - "How many minutes by subway?"

Answer: 십오 분 걸려요. (sibo bun geollyeoyo) - "It takes 15 minutes."

Practical conversation applications

Real-world time usage extends beyond mechanical hour-minute combinations. Korean speakers employ contextual time references that reflect social relationships, urgency levels, and cultural expectations.

Transportation scheduling: The Korean transportation system operates with precision that demands accurate time communication. Missing a KTX train by minutes can affect entire day schedules, making time expressions critical for travelers.

"다음 기차가 몇 시에 와요?" (daeum gichaga myeot sie wayo?) - "What time does the next train come?"

"오전 열시 삼십분에 도착해요." (ojeon yeolsi samsippune dochakaeyo) - "It arrives at 10:30 AM."

Business meeting coordination: Korean business culture emphasizes punctuality, particularly in corporate environments. Time expressions in professional settings carry additional formality markers.

"회의가 몇 시에 시작해요?" (hoeuiga myeot sie sijakhaeyo?) - "What time does the meeting start?"

"오후 두시 정각에 시작합니다." (ohu dusi jeonggake sijakamnida) - "It starts at exactly 2 PM."

The term 정각 (jeonggak) means "exactly" or "sharp," indicating precise timing expectations in professional contexts.

Social appointments: Casual meetings allow more flexible time expressions, often incorporating relative time references.

"언제 만날까요?" (eonje mannalkkayo?) - "When shall we meet?"

"저녁 일곱시쯤 어때요?" (jeonyeok ilgopsijjeum eottaeyo?) - "How about around 7 PM?"

The suffix 쯤 (jjeum) means "around" or "approximately," softening the time commitment in social contexts.

Korean temporal vocabulary extends beyond basic hour-minute combinations to include relational time concepts that enhance communication precision.

Sequential time markers:

전 (jeon) - before: 수업 전 (sueop jeon) - "before class"

후 (hu) - after: 점심 후 (jeomsim hu) - "after lunch"

동안 (dongan) - during: 회의 동안 (hoeui dongan) - "during the meeting"

Present and future time references:

지금 (jigeum) - now

나중에 (najunge) - later

곧 (got) - soon

잠깐 (jamkkan) - briefly/for a moment

Frequency and routine expressions:

매일 (maeil) - every day

가끔 (gakkeum) - sometimes

자주 (jaju) - often

항상 (hangsang) - always

These temporal markers combine with time expressions to create nuanced meaning:

"매일 아침 일곱시에 일어나요." (maeil achim ilgopsie ireonayo) - "I wake up at 7 AM every morning."

"회의 후에 나중에 만나요." (hoeui hue najunge mannayo) - "Let's meet later after the meeting."

Cultural context and usage preferences

Korean time expressions reflect cultural values that influence when and how different formats appear in daily communication. Understanding these preferences prevents awkward misunderstandings and demonstrates cultural awareness.

12-hour vs 24-hour system preferences: Conversational Korean heavily favors 12-hour format with AM/PM indicators. The 24-hour system appears primarily in:

Military contexts

Transportation schedules

Official documents

Digital displays

Most Korean speakers automatically convert 24-hour times to 12-hour format during speech, even when reading from 24-hour displays.

Politeness levels in time expressions: Korean politeness markers affect time-related questions and responses:

Casual level (반말):

"몇 시야?" (myeot siya?) - "What time is it?"

"세시야." (sesiya) - "It's 3 o'clock."

Polite level (존댓말):

"몇 시예요?" (myeot siyeyo?) - "What time is it?"

"세시예요." (sesiyeyo) - "It's 3 o'clock."

Formal level:

"몇 시입니까?" (myeot siimnikka?) - "What time is it?"

"세시입니다." (sesimnida) - "It's 3 o'clock."

The politeness level choice depends on social relationship, age difference, and contextual formality.

Advanced time expressions and idioms

Korean contains time-related idioms and advanced expressions that native speakers use for more sophisticated communication. These expressions demonstrate fluency beyond basic time-telling.

Time-related idioms:

"시간이 금이다" (sigani geumida) - "Time is gold" (Time is money)

"시간을 죽이다" (siganeul jugida) - "To kill time"

"시간이 없다" (sigani eopda) - "No time" (I'm busy)

Complex time expressions:

"한 시간 반쯤 전에" (han sigan banjjeum jeone) - "About an hour and a half ago"

"두어 시간 후에" (dueo sigan hue) - "In a couple of hours"

"며칠 동안" (myeochil dongan) - "For several days"

Professional time vocabulary:

근무시간 (geunmusigan) - working hours

점심시간 (jeomsinsigan) - lunch time

퇴근시간 (toegeunsigan) - quitting time

야근 (yageun) - overtime work

출근 (chulgeun) - going to work

퇴근 (toegeun) - leaving work

These terms frequently appear in workplace conversations and demonstrate professional Korean language competency.

Common mistakes and correction strategies

Korean learners consistently make predictable time-telling errors that stem from interference with their native language patterns. Identifying these mistakes accelerates improvement.

Number system confusion: Mixing native Korean and Sino-Korean numbers creates the most frequent errors. Learners often say "일시" instead of "한시" for 1 o'clock, or "하나분" instead of "일분" for 1 minute.

Correction strategy: Practice number system association with physical objects. Native Korean numbers count discrete items you can touch (시 for hours), while Sino-Korean numbers measure abstract quantities (분 for minutes).

Particle misuse: Time expressions require specific particles that change meaning when misused:

에 (e) indicates specific time points

동안 (dongan) indicates duration

까지 (kkaji) indicates deadlines

Incorrect: "세시 동안 만나요" (sesi dongan mannayo) Correct: "세시에 만나요" (sesie mannayo) - "Let's meet at 3 o'clock"

AM/PM positioning errors: Korean places time period indicators before hours, opposite to English patterns.

Incorrect: "네시 오후" (nesi ohu) Correct: "오후 네시" (ohu nesi) - "4 PM"

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