Lesson 4: Daily Routines and Time Expressions

Learn to talk about your daily activities, tell time, and describe when things happen in Korean

Lesson 4: Daily Routines and Time Expressions ⏰

Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 4! Now that you can greet people, talk about your family, and order food, it's time to discuss your daily life. In this lesson, you'll learn how to:

🎯 Learning Goals:

Tell time in Korean
Describe daily activities and routines
Use time expressions (morning, afternoon, evening)
Talk about days of the week
Express when you do different activities

This lesson builds on your knowledge of numbers from Lesson 2, so make sure you're comfortable with Korean numbers before proceeding!

Core Concept 1: Telling Time in Korean 🕐

Understanding Korean Time System

Korean uses two different number systems for telling time, which can seem confusing at first, but there's a clear pattern:

Hours → Sino-Korean numbers (한, 두, 세, 네...) Minutes → Native Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼, 사...)

💡 Memory Tip: Think "HOURS = HANGUL numbers" (both start with H!)

Basic Time Structure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  TELLING TIME IN KOREAN                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                         │
│  [HOUR] + 시 (shi) + [MINUTE] + 분 (bun)│
│                                         │
│  Example: 3:15                          │
│  세 시 십오 분                            │
│  (se shi sib-o bun)                     │
│                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Native Korean Numbers for Hours (1-12)

+-------+-------------+-----------------+
| Number| Korean      | Pronunciation   |
+-------+-------------+-----------------+
|   1   | 한          | han             |
|   2   | 두          | du              |
|   3   | 세          | se              |
|   4   | 네          | ne              |
|   5   | 다섯         | da-seot         |
|   6   | 여섯         | yeo-seot        |
|   7   | 일곱         | il-gop          |
|   8   | 여덟         | yeo-deol        |
|   9   | 아홉         | a-hop           |
|  10   | 열          | yeol            |
|  11   | 열한         | yeol-han        |
|  12   | 열두         | yeol-du         |
+-------+-------------+-----------------+

Key Time Vocabulary

시 (shi) = o'clock, hour
분 (bun) = minute
반 (ban) = half (30 minutes)
시간 (shi-gan) = time, hour (duration)
지금 (ji-geum) = now
몇 시 (myeot shi) = what time?

Example Time Expressions

Example 1: Simple Times

한 시 (han shi) = 1 o'clock
세 시 (se shi) = 3 o'clock
일곱 시 (il-gop shi) = 7 o'clock

Example 2: Times with Minutes

두 시 십 분 (du shi ship bun) = 2:10
네 시 이십오 분 (ne shi i-ship-o bun) = 4:25
여섯 시 사십 분 (yeo-seot shi sa-ship bun) = 6:40

Example 3: Half Past

세 시 반 (se shi ban) = 3:30
다섯 시 반 (da-seot shi ban) = 5:30

🔤 Word Building: The word 시간 (shi-gan) comes from Chinese characters meaning "time" + "interval." When asking "What time?" use 몇 시 (myeot shi), but when asking "How long?" use 몇 시간 (myeot shi-gan).

Core Concept 2: Daily Activities and Routines 📅

Essential Daily Activity Verbs

All these verbs are in the dictionary form (infinitive). To use them politely in sentences, you'll add -어요/-아요 endings:

+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| Korean (Dict.)   | Polite Form      | Meaning            |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 일어나다         | 일어나요          | to wake up         |
| (il-eo-na-da)    | (il-eo-na-yo)    |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 자다             | 자요             | to sleep           |
| (ja-da)          | (ja-yo)          |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 먹다             | 먹어요           | to eat             |
| (meok-da)        | (meok-eo-yo)     |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 마시다           | 마셔요           | to drink           |
| (ma-shi-da)      | (ma-syeo-yo)     |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 가다             | 가요             | to go              |
| (ga-da)          | (ga-yo)          |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 오다             | 와요             | to come            |
| (o-da)           | (wa-yo)          |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 공부하다         | 공부해요          | to study           |
| (gong-bu-ha-da)  | (gong-bu-hae-yo) |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 일하다           | 일해요           | to work            |
| (il-ha-da)       | (il-hae-yo)      |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 만나다           | 만나요           | to meet            |
| (man-na-da)      | (man-na-yo)      |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+
| 보다             | 봐요             | to see/watch       |
| (bo-da)          | (bwa-yo)         |                    |
+------------------+------------------+--------------------+

Places and Locations

집 (jip) = home, house
학교 (hak-gyo) = school
회사 (hoe-sa) = company, office
도서관 (do-seo-gwan) = library
카페 (ka-pe) = café
식당 (shik-dang) = restaurant

💡 Grammar Note: To say "to [place]" in Korean, add -에 (e) after the place:

집에 가요 (jip-e ga-yo) = I go home
학교에 가요 (hak-gyo-e ga-yo) = I go to school

Core Concept 3: Time Expressions and Days 📆

Parts of the Day

        ☀️ Daily Time Periods ☀️
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                     │
│  아침 (a-chim) ────────► Morning    │
│  점심 (jeom-shim) ─────► Noon/Lunch │
│  오후 (o-hu) ──────────► Afternoon  │
│  저녁 (jeo-nyeok) ─────► Evening    │
│  밤 (bam) ─────────────► Night      │
│                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

💡 Cultural Note: Notice that 점심 (jeom-shim) means both "lunch time" AND "lunch" (the meal). Similarly, 아침 means both "morning" and "breakfast," and 저녁 means both "evening" and "dinner."

Days of the Week

Korean days follow a pattern based on celestial bodies and elements:

+------------+----------------+------------------+
| English    | Korean         | Literal Meaning  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Monday     | 월요일          | Moon day         |
|            | (wol-yo-il)    |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Tuesday    | 화요일          | Fire day         |
|            | (hwa-yo-il)    |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Wednesday  | 수요일          | Water day        |
|            | (su-yo-il)     |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Thursday   | 목요일          | Wood day         |
|            | (mok-yo-il)    |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Friday     | 금요일          | Gold/Metal day   |
|            | (geum-yo-il)   |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Saturday   | 토요일          | Earth day        |
|            | (to-yo-il)     |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+
| Sunday     | 일요일          | Sun day          |
|            | (il-yo-il)     |                  |
+------------+----------------+------------------+

🧠 Mnemonic Device: Remember the order with "Moon Fires Water on Wood, making Gold from Earth under the Sun" (Monday through Sunday).

Additional Time Words

오늘 (o-neul) = today
어제 (eo-je) = yesterday
내일 (nae-il) = tomorrow
매일 (mae-il) = every day
주말 (ju-mal) = weekend
평일 (pyeong-il) = weekday

Detailed Examples with Explanations 💬

Example 1: A Morning Routine Conversation

Scenario: Two coworkers, Min-ji and David, are chatting at the office about their morning routines.

민지 (Min-ji): 데이비드 씨, 보통 몇 시에 일어나요? (De-i-bi-deu sshi, bo-tong myeot shi-e il-eo-na-yo?) David, what time do you usually wake up?

데이비드 (David): 저는 여섯 시에 일어나요. 민지 씨는요? (Jeo-neun yeo-seot shi-e il-eo-na-yo. Min-ji sshi-neun-yo?) I wake up at 6 o'clock. How about you, Min-ji?

민지: 저는 일곱 시 반에 일어나요. 그리고 여덟 시에 아침을 먹어요. (Jeo-neun il-gop shi ban-e il-eo-na-yo. Geu-ri-go yeo-deol shi-e a-chim-eul meok-eo-yo.) I wake up at 7:30. And I eat breakfast at 8 o'clock.

데이비드: 아침에 뭐 먹어요? (A-chim-e mwo meok-eo-yo?) What do you eat for breakfast?

민지: 보통 빵하고 커피를 마셔요. (Bo-tong ppang-ha-go keo-pi-reul ma-syeo-yo.) Usually bread and I drink coffee.

Grammar Breakdown:

보통 (bo-tong) = usually, normally
-에 after time = "at [time]"
-을/를 = object particle (marks what you eat/drink)
-하고 = and (connects nouns)
-는요? = "how about [you]?" (turns statement into a question back)

Example 2: Making Plans for the Week

Scenario: Sara is planning her week and telling her friend about her schedule.

사라 (Sara): 이번 주 정말 바빠요! (I-beon ju jeong-mal ba-ppa-yo!) This week is really busy!

친구 (Friend): 왜요? (Wae-yo?) Why?

사라: 월요일에 회사에서 일해요. 화요일에 친구를 만나요. 수요일에 도서관에서 공부해요. (Wol-yo-il-e hoe-sa-e-seo il-hae-yo. Hwa-yo-il-e chin-gu-reul man-na-yo. Su-yo-il-e do-seo-gwan-e-seo gong-bu-hae-yo.) On Monday I work at the office. On Tuesday I meet a friend. On Wednesday I study at the library.

친구: 주말에는 뭐 해요? (Ju-mal-e-neun mwo hae-yo?) What do you do on the weekend?

사라: 토요일 오후에 집에서 쉬어요. (To-yo-il o-hu-e jip-e-seo shwi-eo-yo.) On Saturday afternoon I rest at home.

Grammar Breakdown:

이번 주 (i-beon ju) = this week
-에서 = "at/in [place]" (location of action)
Difference: -에 (static location/destination) vs. -에서 (location where action happens)
- 집에 가요 = go TO home
- 집에서 쉬어요 = rest AT home

Example 3: Daily Schedule Description

Scenario: Junho is describing his typical weekday to a language exchange partner.

준호 (Jun-ho): 제 하루를 말할게요. (Je ha-ru-reul mal-hal-ge-yo.) I'll tell you about my day.

아침 일곱 시에 일어나요. 일곱 시 삼십 분에 아침을 먹어요. 여덟 시에 집에서 나가요. 아홉 시부터 다섯 시까지 회사에서 일해요. 저녁 여섯 시에 집에 와요. 저녁 일곱 시에 저녁을 먹어요. 밤 열한 시에 자요.

(A-chim il-gop shi-e il-eo-na-yo. Il-gop shi sam-ship bun-e a-chim-eul meok-eo-yo. Yeo-deol shi-e jip-e-seo na-ga-yo. A-hop shi-bu-teo da-seot shi-kka-ji hoe-sa-e-seo il-hae-yo. Jeo-nyeok yeo-seot shi-e jip-e wa-yo. Jeo-nyeok il-gop shi-e jeo-nyeok-eul meok-eo-yo. Bam yeol-han shi-e ja-yo.)

I wake up at 7 AM. I eat breakfast at 7:30. I leave home at 8. I work at the office from 9 to 5. I come home at 6 PM. I eat dinner at 7 PM. I sleep at 11 PM.

New Grammar Points:

-부터 (bu-teo) = from (starting point)
-까지 (kka-ji) = until, to (ending point)
나가요 (na-ga-yo) = leave, go out
하루 (ha-ru) = one day, a day

🎯 Usage Tip: The pattern [time]-부터 [time]-까지 is extremely useful for describing schedules, business hours, and any duration:

아홉 시부터 열두 시까지 = from 9 to 12

Example 4: Asking About Someone's Routine

Scenario: You meet a new Korean friend and want to know about their typical day.

You: 주말에 보통 뭐 해요? (Ju-mal-e bo-tong mwo hae-yo?) What do you usually do on weekends?

Friend: 토요일에 친구하고 카페에 가요. 일요일에는 집에서 쉬어요. (To-yo-il-e chin-gu-ha-go ka-pe-e ga-yo. Il-yo-il-e-neun jip-e-seo shwi-eo-yo.) On Saturday I go to a café with friends. On Sunday I rest at home.

You: 몇 시에 카페에 가요? (Myeot shi-e ka-pe-e ga-yo?) What time do you go to the café?

Friend: 오후 두 시쯤 가요. (O-hu du shi-jjeum ga-yo.) I go around 2 PM.

New Vocabulary:

-쯤 (jjeum) = around, approximately
뭐 (mwo) = what (shortened from 무엇)
하고 (ha-go) = with (when following a noun like "friend")

Common Mistakes ⚠️

Mistake 1: Mixing Up Number Systems

❌ Wrong: 삼 시 (sam shi) for "3 o'clock" ✅ Correct: 세 시 (se shi)

Why: Hours use native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세...), not Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...). Remember: HOURS = HANGUL numbers!

Mistake 2: Confusing -에 and -에서

❌ Wrong: 학교에 공부해요 (hak-gyo-e gong-bu-hae-yo) ✅ Correct: 학교에서 공부해요 (hak-gyo-e-seo gong-bu-hae-yo)

Why: Use -에 for "going TO" a place, but -에서 for "doing something AT" a place. The verb 공부해요 (study) is an action happening at the location, so it needs -에서.

📍 Particle Usage Guide:

-에 (destination/time)
├─ 학교에 가요 (go TO school)
├─ 집에 와요 (come TO home)
└─ 세 시에 (AT 3 o'clock)

-에서 (location of action)
├─ 학교에서 공부해요 (study AT school)
├─ 회사에서 일해요 (work AT company)
└─ 집에서 쉬어요 (rest AT home)

Mistake 3: Forgetting Time Particles

❌ Wrong: 아침 일어나요 (a-chim il-eo-na-yo) ✅ Correct: 아침에 일어나요 (a-chim-e il-eo-na-yo)

Why: Time expressions need the particle -에 to connect them to verbs. Think of -에 as "at" or "on" in English.

Mistake 4: Wrong Word Order

❌ Wrong: 먹어요 아침을 여덟 시에 ✅ Correct: 여덟 시에 아침을 먹어요

Why: Korean word order is typically: Time → Object → Verb. The verb always comes at the end of the sentence!

Mistake 5: Confusing 자다 (sleep) and 자요 (polite form)

❌ Wrong: 저는 밤에 자다 (jeo-neun bam-e ja-da) ✅ Correct: 저는 밤에 자요 (jeo-neun bam-e ja-yo)

Why: When speaking in complete sentences, use the polite form ending in -요. The dictionary form (자다) is only used in dictionaries, casual speech between close friends, or when listing vocabulary.

🆚 Confused Pairs:

Korean	Meaning	Usage
먹다 (meok-da)	to eat (dictionary)	Vocabulary lists only
먹어요 (meok-eo-yo)	eat (polite)	Use in actual sentences

오다 (o-da)	to come	Dictionary form
와요 (wa-yo)	come (polite)	Actual speaking

가다 (ga-da)	to go	Dictionary form
가요 (ga-yo)	go (polite)	Actual speaking

Real-World Application: A Complete Day Story 📖

준수의 하루 (Junsu's Day)

Let's follow Junsu through a typical Tuesday, using all the vocabulary and grammar from this lesson:

준수는 화요일 아침 일곱 시에 일어나요. "좋은 아침!" 엄마가 말해요. 준수는 일곱 시 십오 분에 화장실에 가요. 일곱 시 삼십 분에 부엌에서 아침을 먹어요. 오늘 아침은 밥하고 김치예요.

(Junsu wakes up at 7 AM on Tuesday morning. "Good morning!" Mom says. Junsu goes to the bathroom at 7:15. He eats breakfast in the kitchen at 7:30. This morning is rice and kimchi.)

여덟 시에 준수는 학교에 가요. 아홉 시부터 세 시까지 학교에서 공부해요. 점심 열두 시에 친구들하고 식당에서 점심을 먹어요. "이 비빔밥 정말 맛있어요!" 준수가 말해요.

(At 8 o'clock, Junsu goes to school. From 9 to 3, he studies at school. At 12 noon, he eats lunch at a restaurant with friends. "This bibimbap is really delicious!" Junsu says.)

오후 세 시 반에 준수는 도서관에 가요. 도서관에서 다섯 시까지 숙제를 해요. 저녁 여섯 시쯤 집에 와요. "다녀왔습니다!" 준수가 말해요.

(At 3:30 PM, Junsu goes to the library. At the library, he does homework until 5. He comes home around 6 PM. "I'm home!" Junsu says.)

저녁 일곱 시에 가족하고 저녁을 먹어요. 오늘 저녁은 불고기하고 밥이에요. 저녁 여덟 시부터 열 시까지 텔레비전을 봐요. 밤 열한 시에 자요. "안녕히 주무세요," 엄마가 말해요.

(At 7 PM, he eats dinner with his family. Tonight's dinner is bulgogi and rice. From 8 PM to 10 PM, he watches television. He sleeps at 11 PM. "Sleep well," Mom says.)

New Vocabulary from the Story:

화장실 (hwa-jang-shil) = bathroom
부엌 (bu-eok) = kitchen
숙제 (suk-je) = homework
텔레비전 (tel-le-bi-jeon) = television
다녀왔습니다 (da-nyeo-wat-seum-ni-da) = "I'm home!" (literally: "I've been and come back")
안녕히 주무세요 (an-nyeong-hi ju-mu-se-yo) = "Sleep well" (formal)

Key Takeaways 🎯

Essential Grammar Points

Time telling: Native Korean numbers for hours + 시, Sino-Korean for minutes + 분
Particles matter:
- -에 = at/to (time and destination)
- -에서 = at/in (location of action)
- -부터 = from
- -까지 = until/to
Sentence order: Time → Place → Object → Verb
Polite forms: Always use -요 endings in normal conversation

Must-Know Expressions

몇 시예요? (myeot shi-ye-yo?) = What time is it?
보통 뭐 해요? (bo-tong mwo hae-yo?) = What do you usually do?
언제 만나요? (eon-je man-na-yo?) = When shall we meet?

Cultural Insights 🎭

Korean Work Culture: Notice in Example 3 that 아홉 시부터 다섯 시까지 (9 to 5) is mentioned. While this is changing, traditional Korean work culture often involves longer hours. However, the Korean government has been promoting work-life balance, and 주말 (weekend) time is increasingly valued for 쉬어요 (resting)!

Meal Times: Korean meal times are typically:

아침 (breakfast): 7-8 AM
점심 (lunch): 12-1 PM
저녁 (dinner): 6-8 PM

Meals are important family times, and it's common to eat together when possible.

🔧 Try This: Build Your Own Schedule!

Create sentences about YOUR typical day using this template:

[Time]에 일어나요.
[Time]에 [place]에서 [activity]-어요/아요.
[Day]에 [activity]-어요/아요.

Example:

여섯 시 반에 일어나요. (I wake up at 6:30)
아홉 시에 도서관에서 공부해요. (I study at the library at 9)
토요일에 친구를 만나요. (I meet friends on Saturday)

📚 Further Study

To deepen your understanding of Korean daily routines and time expressions:

Talk To Me In Korean - Telling Time Lesson: https://talktomeinkorean.com/lessons/level-1-lesson-16/ - Excellent video and audio explanations of the Korean time system
How to Study Korean - Particles -에 and -에서: https://www.howtostudykorean.com/unit1/unit-1-lessons-1-8/lesson-2/ - Comprehensive grammar breakdowns with many examples
Korean Class 101 - Daily Routines Vocabulary: https://www.koreanclass101.com/korean-word-lists/daily-routines/ - Audio pronunciation for all daily activity verbs

📋 Quick Reference Card

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║     KOREAN DAILY ROUTINES CHEAT SHEET         ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ TELLING TIME                                   ║
║ [Native Korean #] + 시 + [Sino #] + 분         ║
║ Example: 세 시 십오 분 = 3:15                  ║
║                                                ║
║ KEY PARTICLES                                  ║
║ -에 → at (time), to (place)                   ║
║ -에서 → at (location of action)               ║
║ -부터 → from                                   ║
║ -까지 → until/to                              ║
║                                                ║
║ DAILY ACTIVITIES (POLITE)                      ║
║ 일어나요 wake up  | 자요 sleep                 ║
║ 먹어요 eat        | 마셔요 drink               ║
║ 가요 go           | 와요 come                  ║
║ 공부해요 study    | 일해요 work                ║
║                                                ║
║ DAYS OF THE WEEK                               ║
║ 월요일 Mon | 화요일 Tue | 수요일 Wed           ║
║ 목요일 Thu | 금요일 Fri | 토요일 Sat           ║
║ 일요일 Sun                                     ║
║                                                ║
║ TIME WORDS                                     ║
║ 오늘 today    | 어제 yesterday | 내일 tomorrow ║
║ 아침 morning  | 점심 noon      | 저녁 evening  ║
║ 매일 every day | 주말 weekend                  ║
║                                                ║
║ SENTENCE PATTERN                               ║
║ [Time]에 [Place]에서 [Object]을/를 [Verb]어요  ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

💪 You've now learned how to talk about your daily life in Korean! Practice by describing your actual schedule to Korean friends, or keep a simple diary in Korean using these patterns. The more you use these time expressions, the more natural they'll become!

🌟 Homework Challenge: Write 5 sentences about what you do on different days of the week, including specific times. Share with a language partner or tutor for feedback!

📝

Ready to practice?

This lesson has 49 questions to help you learn