Learning telling time in Korean is a practical skill that helps you make plans, catch trains, and chat about your daily schedule. It does take a little care because Korean uses two number systems when talking about the clock, but the pattern is easy to learn once you see it in action. In this guide we will walk through hours, minutes, and helpful time phrases step by step, with romanized examples so you can practice out loud right away.
The Golden Rule of Telling Time
Here is the single most important thing to remember. In Korean, the hour uses native Korean numbers, and the minutes use Sino-Korean numbers. That is the whole secret. Once you internalize this split, everything else falls into place.
The word for hour or o clock is si, and the word for minute is bun. So a complete time looks like a native number plus si for the hour, followed by a Sino-Korean number plus bun for the minutes. Keep this rule in your back pocket as we go through the details.
Saying the Hour with Native Numbers
To say the hour, you use native Korean numbers with the word si. Remember that hana, dul, set, and net shorten to han, du, se, and ne before si. Here are the hours from one to twelve:
- One o clock is han si
- Two o clock is du si
- Three o clock is se si
- Four o clock is ne si
- Five o clock is daseot si
- Six o clock is yeoseot si
- Seven o clock is ilgop si
- Eight o clock is yeodeol si
- Nine o clock is ahop si
- Ten o clock is yeol si
- Eleven o clock is yeol han si
- Twelve o clock is yeol du si
Notice how eleven and twelve build naturally by combining yeol (ten) with han (one) and du (two). Korean uses a twelve hour cycle in everyday speech, so context and time words tell you whether it is morning or evening.
Saying the Minutes with Sino-Korean Numbers
For minutes, switch to Sino-Korean numbers and add bun. These numbers build logically, which makes minutes easy once you know one through ten. Here are some examples:
- Five minutes is o bun
- Ten minutes is sip bun
- Fifteen minutes is sip o bun
- Twenty minutes is i sip bun
- Thirty minutes is sam sip bun
- Forty five minutes is sa sip o bun
To build any minute value, just combine the tens and ones in Sino-Korean. For example, twenty five minutes is i sip o bun, which is two tens plus five. This logical structure means you never have to memorize sixty separate words for the minutes.
Putting Hours and Minutes Together
Now we combine both parts. Say the hour first with a native number and si, then the minutes with a Sino-Korean number and bun. Here are full examples:
- Three ten is se si sip bun
- Seven twenty is ilgop si i sip bun
- Nine forty five is ahop si sa sip o bun
- Twelve thirty is yeol du si sam sip bun
For half past the hour, you can also use the word ban, which means half. So half past three can be said as se si ban, meaning three thirty. This is a common and natural way to talk about the half hour, and native speakers use it constantly.
Useful Time Words and Phrases
To talk about time naturally, you will want a few extra words that add context. Here are the most useful ones:
- Ojeon means a.m. or morning, and it comes before the time. For example, ojeon ahop si means nine in the morning.
- Ohu means p.m. or afternoon, also placed before the time. For example, ohu du si means two in the afternoon.
- Jigeum means now, as in jigeum myeot siyeyo, meaning what time is it now.
- Myeot si means what hour, the key phrase for asking the time.
- Jeong means exactly or on the dot, as in se si jeong, meaning exactly three o clock.
The most important question to memorize is jigeum myeot siyeyo, which means what time is it now. When someone asks you this, you simply answer with the time, for example ohu se si ban, meaning three thirty in the afternoon. Practicing this question and answer pair will prepare you for countless real conversations.
Here are friendly ways to lock in your time telling skills:
- Read every clock you see in Korean. Whenever you glance at your phone, try to say the time aloud in Korean.
- Describe your daily schedule. Say when you wake up, eat, and study using Korean time phrases.
- Drill the hour and minute split. Remind yourself that hours are native and minutes are Sino-Korean until it feels automatic.
- Use the half hour shortcut. Practice ban for thirty minutes so it becomes natural in conversation.
Telling time combines both Korean number systems, so it is excellent practice for your overall number skills. The more you say times out loud, the faster the two systems become second nature. Many learners find that speaking with a tutor speeds this up dramatically, because a teacher can ask you the time in different scenarios and correct your number choices on the spot. If you want live practice with real conversations, you can book lessons with a friendly teacher at Kotudent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do I use two number systems to tell time in Korean?
A: Korean uses native numbers for the hour and Sino-Korean numbers for the minutes. This is simply how the language developed. Once you remember that hours are native, such as se si, and minutes are Sino-Korean, such as sip bun, telling time becomes straightforward.
Q: How do I ask what time it is in Korean?
A: The most common way to ask is jigeum myeot siyeyo, which means what time is it now. You can also just say myeot siyeyo. To answer, state the time using the hour with a native number and si, then the minutes with a Sino-Korean number and bun.
Q: How do I say half past the hour in Korean?
A: You can say the full minutes as sam sip bun, meaning thirty minutes, or you can use the shortcut ban, which means half. For example, three thirty can be said as se si sam sip bun or more casually as se si ban. Both are natural.