How to Tell Time in Korean: Hours, Minutes & Useful Phrases
1. Read your first Korean clock
3:00 → 세 시
3:10 → 세 시 십 분
3:30 → 세 시 삼십 분
Read the hour first, then the minutes. 시 marks the hour; 분 marks the minutes. As you learnt in Lesson 04, everyday 12-hour clock time uses Native Korean for the hour and Sino-Korean for the minutes. At an exact hour, leave out the zero minutes.
This lesson uses the ordinary spoken 12-hour pattern. You may encounter other hour readings in formal or 24-hour settings; they are not today’s practice target.
- Read a clock time in Korean.
- Choose Native hours and Sino-Korean minutes.
- Ask and answer “What time is it now?”
- Use half past and distinguish a.m. from p.m.
- Ask about a class or meeting time and give a useful reply.
Try it. Read 3:20. Keep the hour and change only the minutes.
Check your answer
세 시 이십 분. Twenty is 이십. No a.m. or p.m. was specified.
2. Hours: use the Native counting forms
| Clock | Korean | Clock | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 한 시 | 7:00 | 일곱 시 |
| 2:00 | 두 시 | 8:00 | 여덟 시 |
| 3:00 | 세 시 | 9:00 | 아홉 시 |
| 4:00 | 네 시 | 10:00 | 열 시 |
| 5:00 | 다섯 시 | 11:00 | 열한 시 |
| 6:00 | 여섯 시 | 12:00 | 열두 시 |
Remember the changes from Lesson 04: 하나 → 한, 둘 → 두, 셋 → 세, 넷 → 네 before 시. The same change gives 열한 시 and 열두 시. Leave a space before 시.
Try it. Cover the table and write 4:00, 11:00 and 2:00 in Korean. Then read them in that order.
Check your answer
네 시; 열한 시; 두 시.
3. Minutes: use Sino-Korean numbers
The minute number comes before 분. Build it with the Sino-Korean numbers from Lesson 04; you do not need a separate word for every minute.
| Minutes | Korean | Minutes | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 일 분 | 2 | 이 분 |
| 5 | 오 분 | 10 | 십 분 |
| 15 | 십오 분 | 20 | 이십 분 |
| 30 | 삼십 분 | 45 | 사십오 분 |
| 50 | 오십 분 | 59 | 오십구 분 |
오 분 → 5
십오 분 → 10 + 5 = 15
오십 분 → 5 × 10 = 50
The order changes the value: 십오 is 15; 오십 is 50. In 11:05, the minute part is simply 오 분, not a spoken zero followed by five.
Try it. Write the minute numbers in 2:05, 2:15 and 2:50. Then build 25 minutes.
Check your answer
오 분; 십오 분; 오십 분; 이십오 분.
Clock time or length of time? 두 시 means two o’clock; 두 시간 means two hours. 십 분 can be a length of ten minutes or the minute part of a clock time. In 두 시 십 분, it gives 2:10, not a duration of two hours and ten minutes.
4. Join the hours and minutes
| Digital time | Korean |
|---|---|
| 1:30 | 한 시 삼십 분 |
| 2:15 | 두 시 십오 분 |
| 5:45 | 다섯 시 사십오 분 |
| 9:20 | 아홉 시 이십 분 |
| 11:05 | 열한 시 오 분 |
For a new time, split the display at the colon. Choose the Native hour, add 시, then the Sino-Korean minutes and 분. The two systems belong to two separate quantities; you are not mixing the parts of one number.
Try it. Write and read 4:25, 8:50 and 12:05 without copying a complete phrase from the table.
Check your answer
네 시 이십오 분; 여덟 시 오십 분; 열두 시 오 분.
5. Ask and answer the current time
지금 몇 시예요?
jigeum myeot siyeyo?
What time is it now?
지금 means “now”. 몇 시예요? asks “What time is it?” Use this polite question with a classmate or colleague. Here is how to turn a clock phrase into an answer:
| Clock phrase | Polite answer |
|---|---|
| 세 시 | 지금 세 시예요. It’s three o’clock now. |
| 다섯 시 십 분 | 지금 다섯 시 십 분이에요. It’s 5:10 now. |
Choose the ending from the last word. 시 ends in a vowel, so use 시예요. 분 ends in a consonant, so use 분이에요. Attach the ending without a space. When the context is clear, you can omit 지금.
Try it. Someone asks 지금 몇 시예요? The clock shows 6:00. Write a complete polite answer.
Check your answer
지금 여섯 시예요. You can also say 여섯 시예요. No a.m./p.m. information is given.
6. Half past, a.m. and p.m.
반 means “half” and expresses 30 minutes past the hour in a clock time: 세 시 반 = 세 시 삼십 분 = 3:30. It does not mean half an hour before three. A complete answer is 세 시 반이에요. — “It’s half past three.”
Put 오전 (ojeon, a.m.) or 오후 (ohu, p.m.) before the hour. Use 오전 for times before noon and 오후 for times after noon, including the evening.
| Time | Korean |
|---|---|
| 9 a.m. | 오전 아홉 시 |
| 2 p.m. | 오후 두 시 |
| 11:30 a.m. | 오전 열한 시 반 |
| 7:15 p.m. | 오후 일곱 시 십오 분 |
At the boundaries, be explicit: 정오 means noon (12:00 in the daytime); 자정 means midnight. Prefer these words, or 낮 열두 시 and 밤 열두 시, to avoid confusion over “a.m./p.m. twelve”. For a midnight appointment, confirm the date too. Here 낮 means daytime and 밤 means night.
Try it. Write 7:30 p.m. using 반. Then change it to 7:30 a.m.
Check your answer
오후 일곱 시 반; 오전 일곱 시 반. Only the time-of-day word changes.
7. Ask when something happens
The current time and an event’s time need different questions. 에 after a time means “at”: 세 시에 = at three. Attach it to the end of the whole time phrase: 오후 두 시 반에 = at 2:30 p.m.
| Purpose | Korean and meaning |
|---|---|
| Ask the current time | 지금 몇 시예요? What time is it now? |
| Arrange a meeting | 몇 시에 만나요? What time shall we meet? |
| Ask about a start time | 몇 시에 시작해요? What time does it start? |
만나요 is a polite form of “meet”. While arranging a plan, 세 시에 만나요. means “Let’s meet at three.” In another context it can describe a regular meeting. 시작해요 means “start(s)”. Learn these short patterns without studying the full verb system yet.
The class starts at nine.
영화는 일곱 시에 시작해요.
The film starts at seven.
수업 means class and 영화 means film. The attached 은/는 marks what you are talking about: “the class” or “the film”. For now, reuse each complete pattern. A start-time question does not tell you what time it is now.
Try it. A class starts at 10:30 a.m. Complete 수업은 ______ 시작해요. Use 반.
Check your answer
수업은 오전 열 시 반에 시작해요. Put 에 after the final time word, 반.
8. Use the time in short conversations
A. Ask the current time
You ask a classmate. The clock shows 5:10; no morning/evening information is given.
You: 지금 몇 시예요?
What time is it now?
Classmate: 다섯 시 십 분이에요.
It’s 5:10.
B. Arrange a meeting
Two colleagues are choosing a time to meet.
A: 몇 시에 만나요?
What time shall we meet?
B: 오후 두 시 반에 만나요.
Let’s meet at 2:30 p.m.
A: 좋아요.
Sounds good.
좋아요. is a polite way to agree to this plan. Keep 오후 in the reply so the meeting time is clear.
C. Check a class start time
A learner checks the schedule with a teacher.
Learner: 수업은 몇 시에 시작해요?
What time does the class start?
Teacher: 오전 아홉 시에 시작해요.
It starts at 9 a.m.
Try each exchange with another person, or take both roles yourself. Change just the time on your second attempt. These are speaking practice prompts, not a test of pronunciation accuracy.
9. Guided practice: from clock to conversation
A. Recognise and construct
Match 네 시 십오 분 and 네 시 오십 분 to 4:50 and 4:15. Then build the Korean expression for 10:35.
Check the clock phrases
네 시 십오 분 = 4:15; 네 시 오십 분 = 4:50. 10:35 is 열 시 삼십오 분. Build 35 as 30 + 5.
B. Complete a conversation
A: 지금 몇 시예요?
B: ______ (The clock shows 8:05.)
Check a possible reply
여덟 시 오 분이에요. You can include 지금 at the beginning. No a.m. or p.m. was specified.
C. Use a simple schedule
This practice schedule is for one day. All times show a.m. or p.m.; the events are class, a meeting and a film.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| 수업 — class | 9:00 a.m. |
| 만남 — meeting | 2:30 p.m. |
| 영화 — film | 7:15 p.m. |
Using the table, write (1) when the class starts, (2) a suggestion for the meeting time, and (3) when the film starts. Reuse the patterns from Parts 7–8.
Check the schedule responses
Model answers:
- 수업은 오전 아홉 시에 시작해요. — The class starts at 9 a.m.
- 오후 두 시 반에 만나요. — Let’s meet at 2:30 p.m. 삼십 분에 can replace 반에.
- 영화는 오후 일곱 시 십오 분에 시작해요. — The film starts at 7:15 p.m.
10. Final check
Write before opening the answers. Use fully written Korean numbers and the everyday 12-hour pattern. Add a.m./p.m. only when it is given. For sentence tasks, include a polite ending.
- Write the hour phrases for 1:00, 4:00, 11:00 and 12:00.
- Write the minute phrases for 5, 15 and 50 minutes.
- Read 5:45 in Korean as a clock phrase.
- Read 11:05 in Korean as a clock phrase.
- Write 3:30 using 반. Also write it using minutes.
- Write 9:20 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. as clock phrases.
- Ask someone what time it is now.
- Answer that question: the clock shows 3:00. Write a complete sentence.
- Answer that question: the clock shows 5:10. Write a complete sentence.
- You are arranging a meeting. Write “What time shall we meet?” and “Let’s meet at 4:30 p.m.”
- Use the practice schedule in Part 9. Ask when the film starts and give a complete answer.
- Correct both expressions for the stated meanings: 둘 시 다섯 분 (2:05 on a clock); 세 시에요. (“It’s three o’clock.”). Then explain the difference between 두 시 and 두 시간.
Check all 12 answers
- 한 시; 네 시; 열한 시; 열두 시. Use the Native counting forms.
- 오 분; 십오 분; 오십 분. Check the order of 십 and 오.
- 다섯 시 사십오 분. Hours first, then minutes.
- 열한 시 오 분. Do not read the leading zero.
- 세 시 반; 세 시 삼십 분. Both show the same clock time.
- 오전 아홉 시 이십 분; 오후 두 시 십오 분.
- 지금 몇 시예요?
- 지금 세 시예요. 세 시예요. is also correct. No a.m./p.m. was given.
- 지금 다섯 시 십 분이에요. Omitting 지금 is also correct. 분 takes 이에요.
- 몇 시에 만나요?
오후 네 시 반에 만나요. 오후 네 시 삼십 분에 만나요. is also correct. - 영화는 몇 시에 시작해요?
영화는 오후 일곱 시 십오 분에 시작해요. The reply can omit 영화는 because the topic is clear. - 두 시 오 분; 세 시예요. Use Native 두 for the hour and Sino-Korean 오 for minutes. 두 시 is two o’clock; 두 시간 is a duration of two hours.
11. Review and continue
Lesson 04 gave you the numbers; now you can read a clock, ask the current time and use 에 to arrange a meeting or give a start time. If you confused 15 and 50, revisit Part 3. If the question or ending was difficult, revisit Parts 5 and 7, then try a conversation again.
Next, study the Korean present tense to build on short forms such as 만나요 and 시작해요.