Telling the time
Nujoom asked what time it is. You panicked and showed him your entire wrist like it was a hostage negotiation.
Say the actual numberThe words — Telling the time
Nujoom needs to know the time. Nujoom has needed to know the time for a while now. Let's fix that.
MeaningWhat time is it?
누줌이 창문 없는 방에서 힐랄에게 물어요: "몇 시예요?"
Nujoom asks Hilal, in a room with no windows: "What time is it?"
MeaningIt's three o'clock
힐랄이 대답해요: "세 시예요." 그런데 힐랄은 시계가 없어요.
Hilal answers: "It's three o'clock." But Hilal has no clock.
Meaningin the evening
누줌이 저녁에 다시 물어요. 힐랄이 또 "세 시예요"라고 말해요.
Nujoom asks again in the evening. Hilal says "It's three o'clock" again.
Meaninglate
지자가 늦게 들어와요. 지자가 말해요: "힐랄, 시계는 하나만 있어요."
Zeeza comes in late. Zeeza says: "Hilal, there is only one clock."
Meaningat night
밤에 누줌이 또 물어요: "몇 시예요?"
At night, Nujoom asks again: "What time is it?"
Meaningin the morning
아침에 지자가 시계를 봐요. "세 시예요?"
In the morning, Zeeza looks at the clock. "Three o'clock?"
Meaningearly
사마는 일찍 와요. 힐랄은 늦게 와요.
Sama comes early. Hilal comes late.
Watch out — Telling the time
두 시 = two o'clock. So 두 시 반이에요 should just mean… two o'clock, politely?
두 시 반이에요반 = 'half'. Attached after any hour (X 시 반이에요), it means X:30 — the hour stays native Korean, 반 just tags thirty minutes on.
The scene — Telling the time
Hilal is coming over — Nujoom has set an alarm, a timer, and possibly a small fire of anticipation.
- 힐랄이 저녁에 와요!Hilal is coming in the evening!
- 몇 시예요?What time is it?
- 저 왔어요! 일찍 왔어요?I'm here! Am I early?
The idea — Telling the time
몇 시예요? asks 'what time is it?', and the hour uses native numbers (세 시 = three o'clock) while 반 adds 'half' (두 시 반이에요 = it's half past two).
Next time someone asks when to meet, you can actually answer with a real hour — morning, evening, or night.
Questions about Telling the time
How do you ask 'what time is it?' in Korean?
You say 몇 시예요? (myeot siyeyo?), which literally asks 'what time is it?'
How do you say 'three o'clock' in Korean?
You say 세 시예요 (se siyeyo), using the native Korean number for three with 시 (hour).
What does 반 mean when telling time in Korean?
반 means 'half'. Added after an hour, like 두 시 반이에요, it means 'half past two'.
How do you say 'in the evening' or 'at night' in Korean?
저녁에 (jeonyeoge) means 'in the evening' and 밤에 (bame) means 'at night'.
You've seen the idea. Now make it stick.
The journey continues in Zeeza — free to start, made to adapt to how you learn.
- Hear it and choose
- Fill the idea in from memory
- Say it after the voice
- …and more, adapted to you