Times in Korean
Learning how to tell time in Korean is important for everyday situations such as making appointments, reading schedules, planning travel, and discussing daily routines.
Korean time expressions use two different number systems:
- Native Korean numbers for hours
- Sino-Korean numbers for minutes and seconds
Example:
7:37
일곱 시 삼십칠 분
ilgop si samsipchil bun
This page explains how to read, write, and say time in Korean.
Asking the Time in Korean
To ask what time it is in Korean, you can say:
지금 몇 시예요?
Romanization:
jigeum myeot siyeyo?
Meaning:
What time is it now?
Example response:
세 시예요.
Romanization:
se siyeyo
Meaning:
It is three o'clock.
Full Hours in Korean
Korean hours use Native Korean numbers followed by 시 (si).
Examples:
| Time | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 한 시 | han si |
| 2:00 | 두 시 | du si |
| 3:00 | 세 시 | se si |
| 4:00 | 네 시 | ne si |
| 5:00 | 다섯 시 | daseot si |
Example sentence:
지금 세 시예요.
Romanization:
jigeum se siyeyo
Meaning:
It is now three o'clock.
Minutes in Korean
Minutes use Sino-Korean numbers followed by 분 (bun).
Examples:
| Minutes | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 십 분 | sip bun |
| 15 | 십오 분 | sibo bun |
| 30 | 삼십 분 | samsip bun |
| 45 | 사십오 분 | sasibo bun |
Example:
3:10
세 시 십 분
se si sip bun
Combining Hours and Minutes
To say the full time in Korean, combine the hour and minutes.
Examples:
3:25
세 시 이십오 분
se si isip-o bun
5:37
다섯 시 삼십칠 분
daseot si samsipchil bun
7:45
일곱 시 사십오 분
ilgop si sasibo bun
Half Past the Hour
Korean commonly uses 반 (ban) to express half past the hour.
Example:
3:30
세 시 반
se si ban
Meaning:
half past three
Quarter Past and Quarter To
Modern Korean usually expresses these using minutes rather than special expressions.
Examples:
3:15
세 시 십오 분
se si sibo bun
3:45
세 시 사십오 분
se si sasibo bun
Morning and Evening Time Expressions
Korean often adds words to show the time of day.
| Expression | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| morning | 오전 | ojeon |
| afternoon | 오후 | ohu |
| evening | 저녁 | jeonyeok |
| night | 밤 | bam |
Examples:
오전 아홉 시
Meaning:
9:00 AM
오후 여덟 시
Meaning:
8:00 PM
Writing Time in Korean
Time in Korean can be written using Arabic numerals or Korean words.
Examples:
7:00
7시
18:30
18시 30분
Korea commonly uses the 24-hour clock in schedules, transportation systems, and official contexts.
Examples:
| Time | Korean |
|---|---|
| 14:00 | 14시 |
| 18:30 | 18시 30분 |
Practice Times in Korean
You can practice telling time in Korean using the interactive tools below.