Telling Time in Korean: Hours & Minutes

Telling time in Korean uses both number systems, Native Korean for hours and Sino-Korean for minutes. This is one of the trickiest parts of Korean numbers, but the pattern is straightforward once you see it.

Hours: Native Korean Numbers

For hours, use Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) with 시:

Note: 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네 when used before a counter.

Minutes: Sino-Korean Numbers

For minutes, use Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...) with 분:

반 (ban) means "half" and is commonly used for :30.

Putting It Together

Practice telling time with interactive examples →

부터/까지, From and Until

To express time ranges, use 부터 (from) and 까지 (until):

Practice 부터/까지 with interactive examples →

쯤, Approximately

Add 쯤 after a time to mean "about" or "around":

• 3시쯤 = around 3 o'clock
• 30분쯤 = about 30 minutes

Learn about 쯤 with examples →

AM / PM and day parts

Koreans often use day-part words instead of 24-hour clock in casual speech:

Examples:

• 아침 8시에 일어나요 → I wake up at 8 in the morning
• 오후 3시에 만나요 → Let’s meet at 3 p.m.
• 밤 11시쯤 자요 → I sleep around 11 at night

How numbers mix (quick recap)

If you confuse the two systems, review Korean numbers first, then come back to clocks.

Mini practice

Say these in Korean:

1. 2:00 → 두 시
2. 2:30 → 두 시 반
3. From 9 to 5 → 아홉 시부터 다섯 시까지
4. Around 7 p.m. → 저녁 일곱 시쯤 / 오후 일곱 시쯤

Related guides

• Korean numbers: Sino vs native (incl. 1-100)
• Location particles 에/에서 (time also uses 에)

Practice on Chamelingo

Time expressions appear in scheduling, daily-routine, and conversation drills. You practice reading clocks, booking times, and using ranges. Not only memorizing a chart.

Explore all grammar points →