Telling the time and saying dates in Korean
Clock time is where most learners first meet both number systems at once: the hour is native, the minutes are Sino-Korean. Dates are simpler, Sino-Korean from the year down to the day.
The hour: native + 시
한 시, 두 시, 세 시, 네 시 use the shortened forms, then 다섯 시 to 열두 시. A length of time in hours is also native, with 시간: 두 시간, two hours.
Minutes and seconds: Sino-Korean
오 분, 삼십 분, 오십구 분; seconds take 초: 십 초. Half past is 반, half: 세 시 반. “Ten to” is 십 분 전, ten minutes before.
Times to read aloud
| Clock | Korean | Also heard |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 한 시han si | |
| 3:30 | 세 시 삼십 분se si samsip bun | 세 시 반 |
| 4:15 | 네 시 십오 분ne si sibo bun | |
| 9:05 | 아홉 시 오 분ahop si o bun | |
| 11:50 | 열한 시 오십 분yeolhan si osip bun | 열두 시 십 분 전 |
| 12:45 | 열두 시 사십오 분yeoldu si sasibo bun |
Dates: Sino-Korean, largest unit first
A date runs year, month, day, each a Sino-Korean number with its unit: 년 (year), 월 (month), 일 (day). 8 October 2026 is 이천이십육 년 시월 팔 일, written 2026년 10월 8일. Years are read as one whole number: 2026 is 이천이십육, two thousand and twenty-six, not split into “twenty twenty-six”.
The twelve months
| Month | Korean |
|---|---|
| 1 | 일월 irwol |
| 2 | 이월 iwol |
| 3 | 삼월 samwol |
| 4 | 사월 sawol |
| 5 | 오월 owol |
| 6 | 유월 yuwol (not 육월) |
| 7 | 칠월 chirwol |
| 8 | 팔월 parwol |
| 9 | 구월 guwol |
| 10 | 시월 siwol (not 십월) |
| 11 | 십일월 sibirwol |
| 12 | 십이월 sibiwol |
Counting days
For a span of days Korean has a set of native words, the everyday choice for short spans. Sino-Korean with 일 (삼 일) is also correct and becomes the usual form for longer spans.
| Days | Native word |
|---|---|
| 1 | 하루 haru |
| 2 | 이틀 iteul |
| 3 | 사흘 saheul |
| 4 | 나흘 naheul |
| 5 | 닷새 datsae |
| 6 | 엿새 yeotsae |
| 7 | 이레 ire |
| 8 | 여드레 yeodeure |
| 9 | 아흐레 aheure |
| 10 | 열흘 yeolheul |
Months as a span: 두 달 (native) or 이 개월 (Sino-Korean), both meaning two months. The counters page lists more pairs like this.
Questions teachers and learners ask
Why does Korean time use two number systems?
The hour is counted like objects, with the native counter 시, so it takes native numbers in their shortened form: 한 시, 두 시, 세 시. Minutes and seconds are units of measure, 분 and 초, which take Sino-Korean: 삼십 분, 십 초. So 3:30 is 세 시 삼십 분, one sentence in two systems.
How do you say a.m. and p.m. in Korean?
Put 오전 (morning, a.m.) or 오후 (afternoon, p.m.) before the time: 오전 열 시 is 10 a.m., 오후 세 시 is 3 p.m. Korean also uses the 24-hour clock in timetables, read with Sino-Korean numbers, for example 십오 시 for 15:00.
Why are June and October irregular?
In speech the final consonant of the number drops before 월: 육월 became 유월 and 십월 became 시월. The Korean spelling rules (한글 맞춤법 제52항) write words like these the way they are said, so the written month names follow the sound. The other ten months are the plain number plus 월.
How do you say "two days" in Korean?
Either with native day words, 이틀, or with Sino-Korean and the counter 일, 이 일. The native set runs 하루, 이틀, 사흘, 나흘 and on to 열흘 for ten days, and is the everyday choice for short spans. For longer spans, such as 30 days, Sino-Korean 삼십 일 is usual.
An independent learning site, not affiliated with the National Institute of Korean Language or any Korean government body. Rules and forms are quoted from the published sources named on each page; if your textbook or teacher prefers another accepted form, theirs is the one to follow in class.