Learn how to tell time and dates in Korean using both native Korean and Sino-Korean number systems, with clear rules, tables, and example sentences.
One of the trickiest parts of Korean for beginners is that there are two full number systems — native Korean and Sino-Korean — and telling time requires using both at once, depending on whether you are saying the hour or the minute.
| Use | Number system | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Native Korean (하나, 둘, 셋...) | 세 시 (se si) — 3 o'clock |
| Minutes | Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼...) | 삼십 분 (samsip bun) — 30 minutes |
So "3:30" becomes 세 시 삼십 분 (se si samsip bun) — native Korean for the hour, Sino-Korean for the minute. This mixed system trips up almost every beginner at first.
| Number | Korean | Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 → 한 시 | 1 o'clock |
| 2 | 둘 → 두 시 | 2 o'clock |
| 3 | 셋 → 세 시 | 3 o'clock |
| 4 | 넷 → 네 시 | 4 o'clock |
| 5 | 다섯 → 다섯 시 | 5 o'clock |
Note the special short forms: 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, and 넷 becomes 네 before 시 (hour).
| Number | Korean |
|---|---|
| 10 | 십 분 |
| 15 | 십오 분 |
| 30 | 삼십 분 (or 반, "half") |
| 45 | 사십오 분 |
Years, months, and days all use Sino-Korean numbers, following the order year–month–day, opposite of English.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 오전 | AM (morning) |
| 오후 | PM (afternoon/evening) |
| 정각 | exactly, o'clock sharp |
| 반 | half (30 minutes) |
Example: 오후 세 시 반이에요. — It's 3:30 PM.
Why does Korean use two number systems at all? Native Korean numbers are the language's original counting system, while Sino-Korean numbers were borrowed from Chinese centuries ago for formal counting, dates, and money — both stuck around for different everyday uses.
Is there an easier way to remember which system to use? A helpful rule of thumb: hours, people, and age generally use native Korean; money, dates, and minutes generally use Sino-Korean.
Numbers and time expressions are foundational — and exactly the kind of pattern Klovers' structured courses drill until it becomes automatic.