[Korean Lesson] How to read time in Korean?

0. Before today's lesson

  Basically, there are two ways to count numbers in Korean. 

1. 하나(1), 둘(2), 셋(3), 넷(4), 다섯(5), 여섯(6), 일곱(7), 여덟(8), 아홉(9), 열(10), 열하나(11), 열둘(12), ... ➡ Korean Native Language
2. 일(1), 이(2), 삼(3), 사(4), 오(5), 육(6), 칠(7), 팔(8), 구(9), 십(10), 십일(11), 십이(12), ... ➡ Words from Chinese Characters

  Korean people have been using Chinese characters, and pronouncing them in Korean way. Number is one of the leading example of it. Depending on what you count, the ways of reading the numbers are different.

 

 

 

1. How to read 'hour'

 Hour is 시[si] in Korean. When you read hour, you have to use numbers from Korean native language.

 You can use "한(1), 두(2), 세(3), 네(4), 다섯(5), 여섯(6), 일곱(7), 여덟(8), 아홉(9), 열(10), 열한(11), 열두(12)" before "시"

 For example,

• 1시 : 한 시 [hansi]
• 12시 : 열두 시 [yeoldusi]
• 7시 : 일곱 시 [ilgobsi]

 But, exceptionally, when reading on a 24-hour basis, the way of reading numbers is different.

 For example,

• 13시 : 십삼 시 [sibsamsi]
• 16시 : 십육 시 [sib-yugsi]
• 20시 : 이십 시 [isibsi]
• 24시 : 이십사 시 [isibsasi]

 

2. How to read 'minute'

 Minute is 분[bun] in Korean. When you read minute, you have to use numbers from Chinese characters.

 You can use "일(1), 이(2), 삼(3), 사(4), 오(5), 육(6), 칠(7), 팔(8), 구(9), 십(10), 십일(11), 십이(12), ..." before "분"

 For example,

• 10분 : 십 분 [sibbun]
• 26분 : 이십육 분 [isib-yugbun]
• 58분 : 오십팔 분 [osibpalbun]

 

3. How to read 'second'

 Second is 초[cho] in Korean. When you read second, you have to use numbers from Chinese characters.

 You can use "일(1), 이(2), 삼(3), 사(4), 오(5), 육(6), 칠(7), 팔(8), 구(9), 십(10), 십일(11), 십이(12), ..." before "초"

 For example,

• 2초 : 이 초 [icho]
• 39초 : 삼십구 초 [samsibgucho]
• 41초 : 사십일 초 [sasib-ilcho]

 

Review Quiz! How to read them?

• 3시 35분 20초
• 8시 19분 30초
• 11시 48분 52초

 

 

Answer

• 세 시 삼십오 분 이십 초 [sesi sabsib-obun isibcho]
• 여덟 시 십구 분 삼십 초 [yeodeolbsi sibgubun samsibcho]
• 열한 시 사십팔 분 오십이 초 [yeolhansi sasibpalbun osib-icho]

 

 

 

4. Why are the ways of reading them different?

  Hour(시_si), Minute(분_bun), Second(초_cho) are the words from Chinese Character. While hour(시) is the concept that has been used for a long time, minute(분) and second(초) are concepts that have been used since relatively modern times. So when we read 'hour' we use the numbers from Korean native word, and when we read 'minute' or 'second', we use the numbers from Chinese characters.

 

 

  I hope you can understand it and this lesson is helpful for you guys. Thank you for reading it!

 

 

Lesson in Korean ver. :

[한국어 학습자를 위한] 시, 분, 초 읽는 방법

[한국어 학습자를 위한] 시, 분, 초 읽는 방법

 

 

* References: National Institute of the Korean Language / Nam Gi-shim, Ko Young-geun, "Standard Korean grammar"

 

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