몇 시

§ What does 몇 시 mean?

Korean Word

몇 시 (myeot si)

Pronunciation Tip

The 'ㅊ' in '몇' changes to a 'ㄷ' sound when followed by 'ㅅ'. So it sounds more like '멷 시' (myeot si).

Definition

What time?

Alright, let's learn about "몇 시" (myeot si). This is a really common and useful phrase for asking about the time in Korean. It's an essential part of your basic Korean vocabulary. Think of it as your go-to phrase when you need to know what time it is, or when something is happening.

§ How to use 몇 시 in a sentence

Using "몇 시" is straightforward. It usually comes at the beginning of a question, or right before the verb that asks for the time. Korean sentence structure is generally Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), but for simple questions like this, you'll often see the question word first or near the verb.

§ Basic Questions with 몇 시

The most common way to ask "What time is it?" is to combine "몇 시" with the verb for 'to be' (이다 - ida) in its polite form (이에요 - ieyo/예요 - yeyo). Since '시' ends in a vowel, you'll use '예요'.

You can also add a politeness marker, like '죄송합니다만' (joesonghamnida-man - excuse me, but) or '실례합니다만' (sillyehamnida-man - excuse me, but) if you're asking a stranger.

§ Asking when an event happens

When you want to ask what time a specific event happens, you'll use "몇 시" followed by the time particle "에" (e).

Time Particle

-에 (e): This particle indicates a specific time or location. In this context, it means 'at' a certain time.

Here are some examples:

• To ask when a meeting starts:

  회의는 몇 시에 시작해요? (What time does the meeting start?)

• To ask when a movie begins:

  영화는 몇 시에 시작해요? (What time does the movie start?)

• To ask when you should meet someone:

  우리 몇 시에 만날까요? (What time shall we meet?)

• To ask when a store closes:

  가게는 몇 시에 문 닫아요? (What time does the store close?)

§ Answering questions with 몇 시

When someone asks you a question using "몇 시," you'll respond by stating the hour using native Korean numbers, followed by '시' (si) for 'o'clock', and then '예요' (yeyo) if you're just stating the time. If you include minutes, you'll use Sino-Korean numbers for the minutes, followed by '분' (bun) for 'minutes'.

Keep practicing asking and answering with "몇 시," and you'll get the hang of it in no time!