What Time is it in Korean? Learning the language of your favorite destination can be a challenging task. But, if there’s one question everyone wants to know when they travel abroad, it’s what time it is. Understanding the Korean language will help you get around the country with ease.

Basics of Telling Time in Korean
For most languages, the hours cycle from 12am to 12pm. In Korean this format is the same, which makes it easier to understand. When counting hours in Korean, it’s important to remember that native speakers start counting from midnight as 0, so when you say ‘4 o’ clock’, you’re actually saying it’s 4am.

Korean Time Suffixes
As well as knowing the hour, it’s important to be aware of the correct time suffixes. These suffixes follow the hour to clarify exactly when it is, from morning all the way to night.

The time suffixes in Korean are as follows:

-시: This is the same as saying in English ‘o’clock’
-시 반: This is 15 minutes past the hour.
-시 세차: This is 10 minutes past the hour.
-시 네에서: This is four minutes past the hour.
-시 삼십분: This is 30 minutes past the hour.
-시 반 이서: This is 45 minutes past the hour.

Examples of Using Time in Korean
Once you understand the basics of telling time in Korean, you’ll be able to ask other people what time it is. Here are a few examples of phrases to ask for the time:

-몇 시에요?: What time is it?
-지금 몇 시예요?: What time is it now?
-몇 시 에요?: What is the hour?
-몇 시 반에요?: What is the half hour?

Once you know how to ask the time in Korean, you’ll be able to understand when someone answers you. Here are a few examples of answers that someone might give you:

-간 시 세차 예요: It’s 10 minutes past five
-오전 다섯 시: It’s five o’clock in the morning
-오후 여섯 시 반 입니다: It’s half past six in the afternoon

Knowing the correct language for telling time in Korean will help you greatly when travelling in the country. If you’re ever stuck for understanding the time, it’s always a good idea to have a translator app nearby.