Korean Language Essentials: Dates, Time, and Daily Routine

Dates and Months in Korean

• Months (월): Months are voiced using Sino-Korean numbers followed by the suffix 월 (wol).

  • January: 1월 (일월)
  • February: 2월 (이월)
  • March: 3월 (삼월)
  • April: 4월 (사월)
  • May: 5월 (오월)
  • June: 6월 (유월) — Note: The final "\text{n}" in "\text{yuk}" (6) is dropped for easier pronunciation.
  • July: 7월 (칠월)
  • August: 8월 (팔월)
  • September: 9월 (구월)
  • October: 10월 (시월) — Note: The final "\text{p}" in "\text{sip}" (10) is dropped for easier pronunciation.
  • November: 11월 (십일월)
  • December: 12월 (십이월)

• Dates (일): Specific calendar days are formed with Sino-Korean numbers followed by the suffix 일 (il).

  • 1st day: 1일 (일 일)
  • 2nd day: 2일 (이 일)
  • 3rd day: 3일 (삼 일)
  • 10th day: 10일 (십 일)
  • 15th day: 15일 (십오 일)
  • 20th day: 20일 (이십 일)
  • 30th day: 30일 (삼십 일)
  • 31st day: 31일 (삼십일 일)

Days of the Week (요일)

• Monday: 월요일 (Woryoil)
• Tuesday: 화요일 (Hwayoil)
• Wednesday: 수요일 (Suyoil)
• Thursday: 목요일 (Mogyoil)
• Friday: 금요일 (Geumyoil)
• Saturday: 토요일 (Toyoil)
• Sunday: 일요일 (Iryoil)

Time-Related Vocabulary

• Relative Days:

  • Yesterday: 어제
  • Today: 오늘
  • Tomorrow: 내일

• Relative Time Blocks:

  • Last week: 지난주
  • This week: 이번 주
  • Next week: 다음 주
  • Last month: 지난달
  • This month: 이번 달
  • Next month: 다음 달

• Questions for Specification:

  • What date is it?: 며칠이에요?
  • What day (of the week) is it?: 무슨 요일이에요?
  • When is it?: 언제예요?

Telling Time (Clock Time)

• Structure: Time in Korean uses two different numbering systems simultaneously.

  • Hours (시): Uses Native Korean numbers ($1$ to $12$).
  • Minutes (분): Uses Sino-Korean numbers ($1$ to $59$).

• Examples of Time:

  • 1:01: 한 시 일 분 (Han-si il-bun)
  • 2:10: 두 시 십 분 (Du-si sip-bun)
  • 10:55 (Or 5 minutes before 11:00): 열한 시 오 분 전 (Yeol-han-si o-bun jeon)
  • 7:30: 일곱 시 삼십 분 (Ilgop-si samsip-bun) or 일곱 시 반 (Ilgop-si ban), where 반 (ban) means "half."

Grammar: The Time Particle '에'

• Definition: The particle 에 is attached to nouns denoting time to indicate when a specific action, event, or state occurs.

• Applicable Nouns:

  • Dates: 4월 21일에 (On April 21st).
  • Days of the week: 월요일에 (On Monday).
  • Time-of-day nouns: 이번 주에 (This week), 오전에 (In the morning), 저녁에 (In the evening), 방학에 (During vacation).
  • Seasons: 봄에 (In spring), 여름에 (In summer), 가을에 (In autumn), 겨울에 (In winter).

• Exclusions (No '에' used): Certain time expressions do not take the particle 에:

  • 언제 (When)
  • 지금 (Now)
  • 매일 (Everyday)
  • 어제 (Yesterday)
  • 오늘 (Today)
  • 내일 (Tomorrow)
  • Incorrect Examples: 지금에 (X), 오늘에 (X).

Daily Routine Expressions and Verbs

• Sleeping/Waking:

  • (잠을) 자요: (I) sleep
  • 일어나요: (I) wake up

• Meals:

  • 아침을 먹어요: Eat breakfast
  • 점심을 먹어요: Eat lunch
  • 저녁을 먹어요: Eat dinner
  • 아점 (Brunch): Portmanteau of 아침 (breakfast) and 점심 (lunch).

• Work and Study:

  • 학교에 가요: Go to school
  • 수업을 들어요: Take a class
  • 수업이 시작해요: Class starts
  • 수업이 끝나요: Class ends
  • 회사에 가요: Go to work/company
  • 일해요: Work

• Other Activities:

  • 음식을 만들어요: Make a dish
  • 집에 와요: Come home
  • 운동을 해요: Exercise
  • 티브이를 봐요: Watch TV

Time Period Classifications

While classifications are based on general opinion rather than strict rules, they are often defined as follows:

• 새벽 (Dawn/Daybreak): $0:00$ to $6:00$
• 아침 (Morning): $6:00$ to $9:00$
• 오전 (A.M.): $0:00$ to $12:00$
• 점심 (Around Lunchtime): $12:00$ to $14:00$
• 오후 (P.M.): $12:00$ to $24:00$
• 저녁 (Evening): $18:00$ to $21:00$
• 밤 (Nighttime): $21:00$ to $24:00$

Grammar: Polite Requests/Commands -(으)세요

• Function: Used to make polite requests, commands, or suggestions. It can also imply a recommendation (e.g., "You should try this").

• Conjugation Rules:

  • Verb stem ending in a vowel: Add -세요.
    • 보다 (To see) \rightarrow 보세요
    • 오다 (To come) \rightarrow 오세요
  • Verb stem ending in a consonant: Add -으세요.
    • 앉다 (To sit) \rightarrow 앉으세요
  • Verb stem ending in the consonant "\text{ㄹ}": Drop "\text{ㄹ}" and add -세요.
    • 놀다 (To play/hang out) \rightarrow 노세요

• Honorific Polite Forms: Certain verbs change entirely in this form:

  • 먹다 / 마시다 (To eat / To drink) \rightarrow 드세요 (Please eat/drink/try this).
  • 자다 (To sleep) \rightarrow 주무세요 (Please sleep/Goodnight).
  • 있다 (To be/exist) \rightarrow 계세요 (Please stay/Goodbye).

Dialogue and Practice Scenarios

• Birthday Inquiry:

  • Question: 생일이 언제예요? (When is your birthday?)
  • Answer: 오월 이십오일이에요. (It is on May 25th.)

• Routine/Appointment Questions:

  • 몇 시에 일어나요? (What time do you wake up?) \rightarrow 일곱 시에 일어나요. (I wake up at seven.)
  • 언제 고향에 가요? (When are you going to your hometown?) \rightarrow 4월 21일에 가요. (I'm going on April 21st.)

• Daily Schedule Example (Khalid's Diary):

  • $7:30$ AM: 일어나요 (Wake up)
  • $11:00$ AM: 도서관에 가요 (Go to the library)
  • $1:00$ PM: 세종학당 한국어 수업 (Sejong Institute Korean class starts)
  • $7:00$ PM: 저녁 식사 (Dinner)
  • $11:00$ PM: 잠을 자요 (Sleep)

• Movie Genres (Recommendation Practice):

  • Action: 액션
  • Comedy: 코미디
  • Romance: 로맨스
  • Animation: 애니메이션
  • Horror: 공포
  • Documentary: 다큐멘터리
  • Expression: "꼭 보세요!" (You must see this! / Definitely watch it!)

Questions & Discussion

• Q: 다니엘 씨, 수요일 저녁에 뭐 해요? (Daniel, what are you doing Wednesday evening?)

  • A: 아직 잘 몰라요. (I'm not sure yet.)
  • Response: 그러면 드라마 '의사들'을 보세요. 정말 재미있어요. (Then watch the drama 'Doctors.' It's really fun.)
  • A: 네. 알겠어요. (Okay, I got it.)

• Q: 메이 씨를 오늘 오후에 만나요? (Are you meeting Mei this afternoon?)

  • A: 아니요, 내일 오전에 만나요. (No, I'm meeting her tomorrow morning.)

• Q: 한국어 수업은 언제 시작해요? (When does the Korean class start?)

  • A: 다음 주 월요일에 시작해요. (It starts next Monday.)

• Q: 두 사람은 몇 시에 만나요? (At what time are the two people meeting?)

  • A: 오후 1시 30분에 만나요. (They meet at 1:30 PM.)