🟢 Asking and Telling the Time (지금 몇 시예요?) – Beginner Level (TOPIK 1–2)

Have you ever wanted to ask someone what time it is in Korean? The phrase 지금 몇 시예요? is one of the first questions you’ll use in daily life—whether catching a bus, meeting friends, or checking store hours. Let’s learn how to ask and answer about time naturally, with easy examples and cultural tips!

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Ask and answer the time in Korean using 지금 몇 시예요?
Recognize basic Korean words for hours, minutes, and half/quarter concepts
Use polite forms naturally in everyday situations

📝 Essential Vocabulary

지금 (jigeum) – now
몇 (myeot) – what (used for questions)
시 (si) – hour/o’clock
분 (bun) – minute
반 (ban) – half (30 minutes)
전 (jeon) – before (used for “minutes to” an hour)

💡 Key Sentence Patterns

Asking the time

지금 몇 시예요?
Jigeum myeot siyeyo?
What time is it now?

Telling the time (정각, 반, 전)

지금 한 시예요.
Jigeum han siyeyo.
It’s one o’clock now.
한 시 반이에요.
Han si ban-ieyo.
It’s half past one (1:30).
한 시 5분 전이에요.
Han si obun jeon-ieyo.
It’s five minutes to one (12:55).
한 시 10분 전이에요.
Han si shipbun jeon-ieyo.
It’s ten minutes to one (12:50).

🗣 Practice Dialogue

A: 지금 몇 시예요?
Jigeum myeot siyeyo?
What time is it now?

B: 한 시 5분 전이에요.
Han si obun jeon-ieyo.
It’s five minutes to one.

A: 점심시간이 다 됐네요. 한 시 반쯤에 다시 만날까요?
Jeomsim sigani da dwaenneyo. Han si ban-jjeum-e dasi mannal-kka-yo?
It’s almost lunchtime. Shall we meet again around 1:30?

B: 좋아요! 그럼 한 시 10분 전쯤에 출발해요.
Joayo! Geureom han si shipbun jeon-jjeum-e chulbal-haeyo.
Sounds good! Then let’s leave around ten minutes to one.

🧩 Teacher’s Tips

Beginner learners often forget how to say “minutes before” an hour. In Korean, use 전 (before): “한 시 5분 전” = 12:55 (5 minutes before 1 o’clock). For “half past,” use 반: “한 시 반” = 1:30.

Tip: Hours use native Korean numbers (한 시, 두 시), while minutes use Sino-Korean numbers (일 분, 이 분). Practice mixing them together!

🎯 Pop Quiz

1. How do you say “What time is it now?” in Korean?

Answer

지금 몇 시예요? (Jigeum myeot siyeyo?)

2. How do you say “It’s 5:30” in Korean?

Answer

다섯 시 반이에요. (Daseot si ban-ieyo.)

3. How do you say “It’s ten minutes to one” in Korean?

Answer

한 시 10분 전이에요. (Han si shipbun jeon-ieyo.)

🌏 Did You Know?

Until 1960, Korea used a 12-hour counting system with “시” and “경” based on the traditional Korean clock. Even today, you may hear older people use terms like “정오(正午)” for noon or “자정(子正)” for midnight in formal contexts.

📦 Final Thoughts

Learning to ask and tell the time will help you in countless daily situations—from catching buses to attending classes. Practice this question often and you’ll soon feel more confident when checking time in Korean!

📘 More Posts You’ll Find Helpful!

❶ Talking About Your Weekend Plans – Intermediate Level (TOPIK 3–4)

❷ Talking About Nationalities – Beginner Level (TOPIK 1–2)

❸ Talking About Food You Like – Beginner Level

Keep exploring more posts like these and grow your Korean skills step by step!

📚 Want to practice asking and telling the time in real conversation?
Book a lesson with me on italki and get personalized feedback for real-life situations!

💬 Stay connected for new updates: Visit My Blog | Join My italki Lessons

Your feedback and comments inspire me to keep creating helpful content for Korean learners! 🙏

About the Author

I’m an office worker with 20 years of experience who enjoys studying English and Japanese. Through this blog, I share simple guides to help you learn Korean and understand Korean culture better.