Dates go from big to small
English says “Tuesday, October 6, 2026”. Korean flips it: year, month, day, then the day of the week — 이천이십육 년 시월 육 일 화요일. In writing, numbers are used with the units: 2026년 10월 6일 (화). Addresses work the same way, from the city down to the house number, so the big-to-small order is worth getting used to.
All parts of a date use Sino-Korean numbers: 이천십 (icheonsip) for 2010, 천구백구십구 (cheongubaekgusipgu) for 1999. When you say a number and its unit together, the sounds blend: 일월 is pronounced [이뤌] (irwol) and 육 일 (the 6th) sounds like [유길] (yugil).
Why June is 유월 and October is 시월
If you follow the rule, June would be 육월 and October 십월. Both are awkward to say, so over time the final consonants dropped off: 유월 (yuwol) and 시월 (siwol). These are the only irregular months, and they are a classic mistake for learners — and a favorite quiz question in Korean classes.
Why time mixes two kinds of numbers
Hours are counted, so they use native Korean numbers: 세 시 (se si) (3 o'clock), 열두 시 (yeoldu si) (12 o'clock). Minutes and seconds are measured, so they use Sino-Korean numbers: 삼십 분 (samsip bun) (30 minutes). Put together, 3:30 p.m. is 오후 세 시 삼십 분 (ohu se si samsip bun), or 오후 세 시 반 (ohu se si ban) with 반 (half). In conversation, people switch 24-hour times to this style: 13:00 becomes 오후 한 시 (ohu han si) or just 한 시 (han si). Train and flight announcements and official notices switch the hour to Sino-Korean only from 13:00 to 24:00: 13:00 is 십삼 시 (sipsam si) and 14:20 is 십사 시 이십 분 (sipsa si isip bun). From 1:00 to 12:59 the hour stays native even there (02:00 is 두 시, 09:30 is 아홉 시 삼십 분), and 0:00 is 영 시.
오전 means a.m. and 오후 means p.m. In conversation people often use a part of the day instead:새벽 (early morning (before dawn)), 아침 (morning), 오전 (late morning (a.m.)), 낮 (midday / daytime), 오후 (afternoon (p.m.)), 저녁 (evening), 밤 (night). Noon is 정오 (jeongo), usually said 낮 열두 시 (nat yeoldu si) in conversation (십이 시 on schedules). Midnight is 자정 (jajeong), said 밤 열두 시 (bam yeoldu si); on schedules 0:00 is 영 시 (yeong si), so 00:30 is 밤 열두 시 삼십 분 in conversation and 영 시 삼십 분 in an announcement.
Saying how many days
For short periods Koreans use native words: 하루 (haru) (1 day), 이틀 (iteul) (2), 사흘 (saheul) (3), 나흘 (naheul) (4), up to 열흘 (yeolheul) (10). 보름 (boreum) is half a month (15 days). Longer periods and formal schedules use Sino-Korean: 삼십 일 (samsibil).
Useful sentences
- My birthday is June 16: 제 생일은 유월 십육 일이에요 (je saengireun yuwol simnyuk irieyo)
- Let's meet tomorrow at 3 p.m.: 내일 오후 세 시에 만나요 (naeil ohu se sie mannayo)
- What's the date today? 오늘 며칠이에요? (oneul 며칠이에요?)
- What day is it today? 오늘 무슨 요일이에요? (oneul museun 요일이에요?)
- I'll stay for three days: 사흘 동안 있을 거예요 (saheul dongan isseul geoyeyo)