⏰ Telling Time and Dates in Korean (Beginner Level Guide)
What time is it now? 🕒 When is your birthday? 🎂 If you want to talk about time and dates in Korean, this post is your go-to guide! We’ll cover numbers, time units, and how to form questions and answers easily.
📌 Telling Time in Korean
In Korean, telling the time uses **native Korean numbers for hours** and **Sino-Korean numbers for minutes**.
| Time Expression | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 한 시 | han si | 1 o’clock |
| 세 시 십오 분 | se si sib-o bun | 3:15 |
| 열두 시 반 | yeoldu si ban | 12:30 (half past twelve) |
| 지금 몇 시예요? | jigeum myeot si-yeyo? | What time is it now? |
🕒 Example Sentences: Time
지금 두 시예요.
Jigeum du si-yeyo.
It’s 2 o’clock now.
회의는 네 시에 시작해요.
Hoeuineun ne si-e sijakhaeyo.
The meeting starts at 4 o’clock.
저는 아침 7시에 일어나요.
Jeoneun achim ilgop sie ireonayo.
I wake up at 7 a.m.
📅 Talking About Dates
In Korean, the date format is **Year + Month + Day**.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2025년 7월 15일 | icheon isibo nyeon chilwol sibo il | July 15, 2025 |
| 생일이 언제예요? | saeng-il-i eonje-yeyo? | When is your birthday? |
| 제 생일은 5월 10일이에요. | je saeng-il-eun owol sip-il-i-eyeyo | My birthday is May 10th. |
📝 Example Sentences: Date
오늘은 몇 월 며칠이에요?
Oneureun myeot wol myeochil-ieyo?
What is today’s date?
오늘은 7월 15일이에요.
Oneureun chilwol sib-oil-ieyo.
Today is July 15th.
생일이 언제예요?
Saeng-il-i eonje-yeyo?
When is your birthday?
제 생일은 11월 3일이에요.
Je saeng-il-eun sibirwol sam-il-ieyo.
My birthday is November 3rd.
🗣 Practice Dialogue
👩 A: 지금 몇 시예요?
Jigeum myeot si-yeyo?
What time is it now?
👨 B: 세 시 반이에요.
Se si ban-ieyo.
It’s 3:30.
👩 A: 오늘 며칠이에요?
Oneul myeochil-ieyo?
What’s the date today?
👨 B: 7월 15일이에요.
Chilwol sib-oil-ieyo.
It’s July 15th.
Did You Know?
Koreans often use 24-hour time, especially for public transportation and formal schedules. So 3 p.m. becomes “15시 (sipsam si).” Also, most Koreans say dates using Sino-Korean numbers even if they’re used to native ones in other contexts.
💬 Practice Korean with Me on italki!
Need help practicing dates, time expressions, or daily conversations? 🗓️ Join my Korean class on italki and we’ll practice it all in real-time together! 👉 Book your lesson today
Mastering time and dates in Korean helps you plan, schedule, and communicate better every day. You’ve got this! 😊
