Which number system does Korean use to tell the time?

Both, on the same clock. The hour takes native Korean numbers (in their counter form) with the counter 시, so 3 o'clock is 세 시. The minutes take Sino-Korean numbers with the counter 분, so 15 minutes is 십오 분. Put them together and 3:15 is 세 시 십오 분. The clock is the one place the two systems meet in a single phrase, which makes it the sharpest practice for telling them apart.

How do you say "half past" in Korean?

Use 반, which means "half." 7:30 can be either 일곱 시 삼십 분 (seven hours, thirty minutes) or the shorter 일곱 시 반 (half past seven). Both are common and natural.

How do you say AM and PM in Korean?

오전 is AM (before noon) and 오후 is PM (after noon), and they go in front of the time: 오후 세 시 is 3 PM. Korean uses these far more than a 24-hour clock in everyday speech.

How do you ask what time it is in Korean?

지금 몇 시예요? means "What time is it now?" 몇 is the question word for numbers, and it turns up whenever you're asking "how many" of something, so it's worth knowing beyond the clock.

How are dates written in Korean?

Dates use Sino-Korean numbers throughout: the month takes 월 and the day takes 일, in that order. July 11th is 칠월 십일일. Two months break the pattern in spelling: June is 유월 (not 육월) and October is 시월 (not 십월), because the final consonant drops.

Free guide · 10 minute read

How to tell the time in Korean: hours, minutes, days, and dates

Updated 2026-08-09

Telling the time brings Korean's two number systems onto a single clock face, which makes it one of the best ways to lock both in. You read the hour one way and the minutes another, and the split stays simple once you have seen it.

This builds on the numbers, so if the native and Sino-Korean sets have not settled yet, the Korean numbers guide covers them first. This page puts them to work on the clock, adds half past, AM and PM, then finishes with the days of the week and dates.

Hours are native, minutes are Sino

One rule covers the whole Korean clock. The hour takes a native Korean number in its counter form followed by 시. The minutes take a Sino-Korean number followed by 분.

세 시
3 o'clock (native 세 + 시)
십오 분
15 minutes (Sino 십오 + 분)
세 시 십오 분
3:15 (put them together)
일곱 시 삼십 분
7:30

Set any time below and hear it read out, with the two systems colour-coded.

Hour

Minute

3:15

세 시 십오 분

native hours + 시 · Sino minutes + 분

Half past, and AM or PM

Two shortcuts make your times sound natural. 반 means “half”, so Koreans shorten 7:30 to 일곱 시 반. To mark morning or afternoon, put 오전 (AM) or 오후 (PM) in front of the time.

일곱 시 반
half past seven (반 = half)
오후 세 시
3 PM (오후 goes in front)
오전 아홉 시
9 AM

The days of the week

Every day ends in 요일. The syllable in front names it, in a fixed order from Monday. You will see them constantly in schedules and opening hours.

Korean	Day	Listen
월요일	Monday
화요일	Tuesday
수요일	Wednesday
목요일	Thursday
금요일	Friday
토요일	Saturday
일요일	Sunday

To ask which day it is: 무슨 요일이에요? (“What day is it?”).

Dates

Dates run on Sino-Korean numbers throughout, month before day: the month takes 월, the day takes 일. July 11th comes out as 칠월 십일일.

칠월 십일일
July 11th (7-month, 11-day)
유월
June (spelled 유월, not 육월)
시월
October (spelled 시월, not 십월)

Only two months bend the spelling: June becomes 유월 and October becomes 시월, each dropping the final consonant of the number to make it easier to say. The other ten are the Sino number plus 월.

Common mistakes

Using Sino numbers for the hour. 삼 시 should be 세 시. Hours are native, and they take the contracted counter form (셋 becomes 세).
Using native numbers for the minutes. The minutes are Sino, so 15 past is 십오 분, never 열다섯 분.
Spelling June and October the regular way. They are 유월 and 시월, not 육월 or 십월.

Quick practice

Type each time with the built-in keyboard. The last few questions are multiple choice.

Quick check

1 / 7

Type "3 o'clock" (the hour alone)

consonants · left hand vowels · right hand

Hours use native numbers in counter form: 셋 becomes 세.

The clock opens the door to real Korean

HanGeul teaches over 5,000 Korean words the way this quiz works: you type the Korean, and when you miss, it points out what went wrong, then brings the word back on a schedule. The first three levels are free.

Start learning free →Back to: Korean numbers

Frequently asked questions

Which number system does Korean use to tell the time?: Both, on the same clock. The hour takes native Korean numbers (in their counter form) with the counter 시, so 3 o'clock is 세 시. The minutes take Sino-Korean numbers with the counter 분, so 15 minutes is 십오 분. Put them together and 3:15 is 세 시 십오 분. The clock is the one place the two systems meet in a single phrase, which makes it the sharpest practice for telling them apart.
How do you say "half past" in Korean?: Use 반, which means "half." 7:30 can be either 일곱 시 삼십 분 (seven hours, thirty minutes) or the shorter 일곱 시 반 (half past seven). Both are common and natural.
How do you say AM and PM in Korean?: 오전 is AM (before noon) and 오후 is PM (after noon), and they go in front of the time: 오후 세 시 is 3 PM. Korean uses these far more than a 24-hour clock in everyday speech.
How do you ask what time it is in Korean?: 지금 몇 시예요? means "What time is it now?" 몇 is the question word for numbers, and it turns up whenever you're asking "how many" of something, so it's worth knowing beyond the clock.
How are dates written in Korean?: Dates use Sino-Korean numbers throughout: the month takes 월 and the day takes 일, in that order. July 11th is 칠월 십일일. Two months break the pattern in spelling: June is 유월 (not 육월) and October is 시월 (not 십월), because the final consonant drops.