Telling Time in Korean
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:
| Time | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 o'clock | 한 시 | han si |
| 2 o'clock | 두 시 | du si |
| 3 o'clock | 세 시 | se si |
| 6 o'clock | 여섯 시 | yeo-seot si |
| 12 o'clock | 열두 시 | yeol-du si |
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:
| Time | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 십 분 | sip bun |
| 15 minutes | 십오 분 | si-bo bun |
| 30 minutes | 삼십 분 / 반 | sam-sip bun / ban |
| 45 minutes | 사십오 분 | sa-si-bo bun |
반 (ban) means "half" and is commonly used for :30.
Putting It Together
| Time | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 세 시 | se si |
| 3:30 | 세 시 반 | se si ban |
| 3:15 | 세 시 십오 분 | se si si-bo bun |
| 10:45 | 열 시 사십오 분 | yeol si sa-si-bo bun |
Practice telling time with interactive examples →
부터/까지 — From and Until
To express time ranges, use 부터 (from) and 까지 (until):
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 9시부터 6시까지 | from 9 to 6 |
| 월요일부터 금요일까지 | from Monday to Friday |
| 아침부터 저녁까지 | from morning to evening |
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
Practice on Chamelingo
Time expressions are covered in Unit 7 of our chapter-based curriculum. Chamelingo has exercises where you practice reading clocks, scheduling appointments, and using time ranges in conversation.