A1 · Beginner Chapter 5

Talking About Time and Schedules

6 Total Rules
64 examples
5 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of scheduling and time-telling in Korean with ease.

  • Identify days of the week and relative time markers.
  • Combine native and Sino-Korean numbers to tell accurate time.
  • Apply time particles to build clear, scheduled sentences.
Time is on your side!

What You'll Learn

Hey there, future Korean speaker! Ready to master how to talk about time and schedules in Korean? This chapter is your ticket to confidently discussing when things happen, making plans, and understanding timetables. We'll kick things off with those special words for 'today,' 'yesterday,' and 'tomorrow' (오늘, 어제, 내일). These guys are unique because they stand on their own – no need for the time particle '에' here! Then, you'll discover how incredibly easy it is to name all the days of the week; just add the day's root to 요일. Next up, we'll tackle telling time, which has a fun twist: you use native Korean numbers for hours and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes. It might sound tricky, but trust me, it's like riding a bike – you'll get the hang of it super fast! Finally, we'll unlock the power of the particles '에,' '부터,' and '까지.' The particle '에' is your go-to for pinpointing exact moments, like 'at 2 PM.' Just remember not to use it with 'today,' 'yesterday,' or 'tomorrow'! '부터' acts like a 'start button,' letting you say 'from' a certain time, and '까지' sets the finish line – meaning 'until' or 'by' a specific time or deadline. By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to tell someone when your Korean class is, set a coffee date with a friend, or even explain your daily schedule with ease. Get ready to become a time-telling pro in Korean!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: State dates and precise times for appointments.

Chapter Guide

Overview

Welcome to your essential guide for mastering A1 Korean grammar related to time and schedules! In this chapter, you'll gain the foundational skills to confidently discuss when events happen, make plans, and understand timetables in Korean. Being able to talk about time is one of the most practical and frequently used aspects of any language, and Korean is no exception. Whether you're setting up a coffee date, asking about store hours, or simply describing your daily routine, this knowledge is absolutely crucial for real-world communication.
This guide will walk you through the specifics of telling time, using special words for 'today,' 'yesterday,' and 'tomorrow,' and applying key particles that pinpoint exact moments or define duration. We'll explore how Korean days of the week are formed, the unique system for telling time in Korean (mixing native and Sino-Korean numbers!), and the indispensable particles 에, 부터, and 까지. By the end, you'll not only understand these concepts but also be able to use them in everyday conversations, making your journey to fluency in Korean much smoother. Get ready to become a time-telling expert!

How This Grammar Works

Let's dive into the core mechanics of talking about time in Korean. First, we have three special words: 오늘 (today), 어제 (yesterday), and 내일 (tomorrow). These words are unique because they don't need the time particle 에 when used to indicate 'when' something happens. For example, 오늘 만나요 (Let's meet today) is perfectly correct.
Next, forming the Korean days of the week is wonderfully straightforward. You simply take the character representing the day's element (like moon, fire, water, etc.) and add 요일 (yo-il), which means 'day of the week'. So, 월요일 (Monday), 화요일 (Tuesday), 수요일 (Wednesday), 목요일 (Thursday), 금요일 (Friday), 토요일 (Saturday), and 일요일 (Sunday) become easy to remember.
Telling time in Korean has a fun twist: you use native Korean numbers for hours and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes. For example, three o'clock is 세 시 (se si), using the native Korean 'three' (셋 becomes 세 before 시). Twenty minutes is 이십 분 (i-sip bun), using the Sino-Korean 'twenty' (이십). So, 3:20 PM would be 오후 세 시 이십 분 (o-hu se si i-sip bun).
The particle 에 is your go-to for marking specific points in time, like 'at 2 PM' or 'on Monday'. For instance, 두 시에 만나요 (Let's meet at two o'clock). However, remember the golden rule: 에 is *not* used with 오늘, 어제, or 내일.
Finally, we have the dynamic duo for duration: 부터 (bu-teo) and 까지 (kka-ji). 부터 acts like 'from' or 'starting from' a certain time or day. 수요일부터 (from Wednesday). 까지 means 'until', 'up to', or 'by' a specific time or deadline. 다섯 시까지 (until five o'clock). You can use them together to express a duration: 아침 아홉 시부터 저녁 여섯 시까지 일해요 (I work from 9 AM until 6 PM). Mastering these particles is key for describing schedules and appointments in A1 Korean.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: 내일에 만나요. (Nae-il-e man-na-yo.)
✓ Correct: 내일 만나요. (Nae-il man-na-yo.)
*Explanation:* The time particle 에 is not used with 오늘 (today), 어제 (yesterday), or 내일 (tomorrow). These words intrinsically carry the meaning of 'on' or 'at' that day.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 하나 시 삼 분이에요. (Ha-na si sam bun-i-e-yo.) (It's one o'clock and three minutes.)
✓ Correct: 한 시 삼 분이에요. (Han si sam bun-i-e-yo.)
*Explanation:* When telling time, native Korean numbers are used for hours, but specific forms are used for 1, 2, 3, and 4 before the counter 시 (hour). 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, and 넷 becomes 네. For minutes, you *always* use Sino-Korean numbers.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 수업은 두 시부터 세 시. (Su-eop-eun du si-bu-teo se si.) (Class is from two o'clock until three o'clock.)
✓ Correct: 수업은 두 시부터 세 시까지예요. (Su-eop-eun du si-bu-teo se si-kka-ji-ye-yo.)
*Explanation:* When indicating a duration "from X until Y," both 부터 (from) and 까지 (until) are typically used together to clearly define the start and end points. Omitting 까지 leaves the end point ambiguous.

Real Conversations

A

A

몇 시에 만날까요? (Myeot si-e man-nal-kka-yo?) (What time should we meet?)
B

B

세 시에 만나요. (Se si-e man-na-yo.) (Let's meet at three o'clock.)
A

A

한국어 수업은 언제예요? (Han-gu-geo su-eop-eun eon-je-ye-yo?) (When is Korean class?)
B

B

매주 화요일 오전 열 시부터 열한 시 반까지예요. (Mae-ju hwa-yo-il o-jeon yeol si-bu-teo yeol-han si ban-kka-ji-ye-yo.) (It's every Tuesday from 10 AM until 11:30 AM.)
A

A

언제까지 이메일을 보내야 해요? (Eon-je-kka-ji i-me-il-eul bo-nae-ya hae-yo?) (By when do I need to send the email?)
B

B

내일까지 보내 주세요. (Nae-il-kka-ji bo-nae ju-se-yo.) (Please send it by tomorrow.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I ask "What time is it?" in Korean?

You can ask 지금 몇 시예요? (Ji-geum myeot si-ye-yo?) which literally means "What time is it now?" This is a key A1 Korean phrase for basic communication.

Q

Can I use 오늘부터 or 내일부터?

Yes! While 오늘, 어제, and 내일 don't take 에, they *can* be combined with 부터 and 까지 to indicate a starting or ending point. For example, 오늘부터 운동할 거예요 (I will exercise from today).

Q

What's the difference between 오전 and 오후?

오전 (o-jeon) means 'AM' (ante meridiem), referring to the morning before noon. 오후 (o-hu) means 'PM' (post meridiem), referring to the afternoon and evening after noon. These are essential for specifying times in Korean grammar.

Q

Is there a specific way to say 'noon' or 'midnight'?

Yes! 정오 (jeong-o) means 'noon' (literally 'exact noon'), and 자정 (ja-jeong) means 'midnight'. You can use them with 에, like 정오에 만나요 (Let's meet at noon).

Cultural Context

In Korean culture, punctuality is highly valued, so clearly communicating times and schedules is very important. When making plans, it's common to confirm the exact time and day using the patterns learned here. Koreans often use 오전 (AM) and 오후 (PM) to avoid ambiguity, especially in formal settings or when scheduling. Using 부터 and 까지 to describe work hours or class schedules is a fundamental part of daily conversation, reflecting the structured nature of many aspects of Korean life.

Key Examples (8)

1

오늘 뭐 해요?

What are you doing today?

Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow (오늘, 어제, 내일)
2

어제 너무 피곤했어요.

I was so tired yesterday.

Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow (오늘, 어제, 내일)
3

월요일에 학교에 가요.

I go to school on Monday.

Korean Days of the Week (요일)
4

금요일은 불금이에요!

Friday is Burning Friday (TGIF)!

Korean Days of the Week (요일)
5

지금 몇 시예요?

What time is it now?

Telling Time: Native Hours & Sino Minutes
6

우리 내일 오후 두 시에 만나요.

Let's meet tomorrow at 2:00 PM.

Telling Time: Native Hours & Sino Minutes
7

저는 보통 아침 7시에 일어나요.

I usually wake up at 7 AM in the morning.

Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens
8

우리 토요일 저녁에 맛있는 거 먹자!

Let's eat something delicious on Saturday evening!

Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Start with Time

Always put the time word at the start of your sentence to make your Korean sound more natural.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow (오늘, 어제, 내일)
💡

Use the Suffix

Always add -요일. It makes you sound like a native speaker.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Days of the Week (요일)
💡

The 'Half' Hack

Just like in English we say 'Half past', Korean uses 반. Use 세 시 반 instead of 세 시 삼십 분. It sounds 10x more natural.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Telling Time: Native Hours & Sino Minutes
💡

Specific vs Relative

Always ask: Is this a clock time? If yes, use 에.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens

Key Vocabulary (5)

오늘 (oneul) today 요일 (yoil) day of the week 시간 (sigan) time/hour 분 (bun) minute 공부하다 (gongbuhada) to study

Real-World Preview

coffee

Making a Plan

Review Summary

  • Word + (optional particle)
  • Time + 에
  • Time + 부터
  • Time + 까지

Common Mistakes

You cannot use the time particle '에' with relative time words like 'today', 'yesterday', or 'tomorrow'.

Wrong: 오늘에 공부해요.
Correct: 오늘 공부해요.

When using native numbers for hours, 1, 2, 3, and 4 change their form.

Wrong: 셋 시 (set si)
Correct: 세 시 (se si)

Don't confuse 'until' (까지) with 'from' (부터).

Wrong: 2시까지 공부해요 (from 2 o'clock).
Correct: 2시부터 공부해요 (from 2 o'clock).

Next Steps

You have mastered the clock! Keep this energy up as we move into describing the world around you. You're doing fantastic!

Write your next weekend's schedule in Korean.

Continue to: Connecting People and Things

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank with the correct particle.

내일___ 시작해요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 부터
'부터' marks the start time.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Particle 부터: The 'Start Button' for Time (From...)

Which sentence is correct?

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 내일 만나요
Relative time doesn't take particles.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

오늘에 학교에 가요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 오늘 학교에 가요
Relative time doesn't take particles.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens

Which is correct?

Choose the correct sentence.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 학교까지 가요
No space before particle.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Endpoints: Until, By, & To (까지)

Which sentence is correct?

Choose the correct sentence.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 서울에서 왔어요.
Origin of place is '에서'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Particle 부터: The 'Start Button' for Time (From...)

Choose the correct particle.

저는 3시 ___ 만나요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 에
Time needs 에.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Time Particle `에`: Marking 'When' Something Happens

Fill in the blank with 까지.

내일___ 기다려요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 까지
까지 marks the end point.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Endpoints: Until, By, & To (까지)

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

2시간까지 공부해요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 2시간 동안 공부해요
Duration needs 동안.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Endpoints: Until, By, & To (까지)

Fill in the blank with the correct time word.

___ 저는 학교에 갔어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 어제
The verb '갔어요' is past tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow (오늘, 어제, 내일)

Which is correct for 'On Monday'?

Choose the correct form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 월요일에
Use -에 for time.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Korean Days of the Week (요일)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, '오늘' is an adverbial noun and does not take the particle '에'.
You must match the tense to the time word. '어제' = past, '오늘' = present, '내일' = future.
It is a suffix that means 'day of the week'. It is mandatory.
No, Korean uses specific names for each day.
Native numbers change when they act as counters.
No, it is incorrect.
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Connecting People and Things
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