Hello, everyone! This is Danny, a professional Korean teacher from Podo Korean. It’s great to see you again. I’m greeting you from Cambodia today. It’s a truly beautiful country, but there’s one thing I’ve had to get used to: ‘time’! Cambodia is 2 hours behind Korea, so my body is struggling a bit to adjust to the new time zone. This personal experience gave me an idea—why not learn some very useful and fun **Korean time expressions** related to ‘time’ together? From how to talk about time differences between countries to expressions related to our body’s internal clock, I’m confident that by the end of this post, your Korean skills will feel one step more natural. Shall we embark on a journey through time together?
Jet Lag and Time Zones: Essential Korean Time Expressions
When you call a friend in another country or plan an overseas trip, the first thing you check is the ‘time difference.’ In Korean, this is ‘시차(sicha)’. It’s a shortened form of ‘시간 차이(sigan chai)’ (time difference). It’s a very simple but incredibly useful word. For instance, I can describe my situation in Korean like this:
- “캄보디아는 한국보다 2시간 느려요.” (Cambodia is 2 hours behind Korea.)
- “한국은 캄보디아보다 2시간 빨라요.” (Korea is 2 hours ahead of Cambodia.)
- “캄보디아와 한국은 2시간의 시차가 있어요.” (There is a 2-hour time difference between Cambodia and Korea.)
Depending on which country is the reference point, you can use ‘빠르다(ppareuda)’ (to be fast/ahead) or ‘느리다(neurida)’ (to be slow/behind). To ask about the time difference with another country, you can say, “(나라 이름)하고 시차가 얼마나 나요?” (What’s the time difference with [Country Name]?). For example, if you ask, “뉴욕하고 시차가 얼마나 나요?” (What’s the time difference with New York?), you could answer, “뉴욕은 한국보다 13시간 느려요.” (New York is 13 hours behind Korea.)
When you travel to a country with a time difference like this, your body needs to go through a process of adjusting to the new time zone. This is called ‘시차적응(sichajeogeung)’ (adjusting to the time difference), or jet lag. This word is a combination of ‘시차(sicha)’ which we just learned, and ‘적응(jeogeung, adaptation)’. Even though I’ve been in Cambodia for two weeks, I don’t think I’ve fully adjusted yet. I get incredibly sleepy around 9 PM here, which is 11 PM in Korea, and I automatically wake up between 4-5 AM, before the sun has even risen (6-7 AM in Korea). When you can’t adjust to the time difference, you might experience symptoms like being ‘피곤하다(pigonhada, to be tired)’, ‘졸리다(jollida, to be sleepy)’, or ‘멍하다(meonghada, to be dazed)’.
From Dawn to Sunset: How to Express Times of Day in Korean
I mentioned that I wake up at dawn every day, right? The word ‘새벽(saebyeok)’ is one of those words in Korean that has a very special feel to it. ‘새벽’ usually refers to the early morning hours after midnight but before the sun comes up. Translating it simply as ‘early morning’ doesn’t quite capture the quiet and mystical atmosphere it holds. Koreans often use this word in phrases like “새벽 운동” (dawn exercise) or “새벽 배송” (dawn delivery).
The rising of the sun is called ‘일출(ilchul)’. This word comes from Hanja (Chinese characters), combining ‘일(日)’ meaning ‘sun’ and ‘출(出)’ meaning ‘to come out’. In pure Korean, you can say “해가 뜨다” (the sun rises). In Korea, there’s a culture of going to the East Sea, where the sun rises earliest, on New Year’s Day to watch the first ‘일출’ of the year and make a wish. I’ve never done it myself. 🙂
Conversely, what do you call the setting of the sun? That would be ‘일몰(ilmol)’. Similarly, it uses ‘일(日)’ for ‘sun’ and ‘몰(沒)’, which means ‘to sink’ or ‘to disappear’. The pure Korean expression is “해가 지다” (the sun sets). You can use it in a sentence like, “제주도에서 보는 일몰은 정말 아름다워요.” (The sunset seen from Jeju Island is truly beautiful.)
Let’s summarize the various expressions for the flow of time throughout the day:
- 새벽 (saebyeok): Dawn, the time before sunrise.
- 아침 (achim): Morning, after the sun rises / Breakfast.
- 점심 (jeomsim): Noon / Lunch (It can mean both the meal ‘lunch’ and the time ‘noon’.)
- 저녁 (jeonyeok): Evening / Dinner.
- 오전 (ojeon): ‘낮’의 ‘이전’ (before ‘daytime’) (A.M. from 12 midnight to 12 noon)
- 오후 (ohu): ‘낮’의 ‘이후’ (after ‘daytime’) (P.M. from 12 noon to 12 midnight)
- 낮 (nat): Daytime.
- 밤 (bam): Night.
- 자정 (jajeong): Midnight.
Using these words will allow you to describe your day in much more specific and vivid detail!
Are You a ‘Morning Person’ or an ‘Evening Person’?
Since I’ve been waking up at dawn every day because of the time difference, I’ve become a perfect ‘아침형 인간(achimhyeong ingan)’ here in Cambodia. ‘아침형 인간’ has the exact same meaning as the English ‘morning person’ or ‘early bird’, referring to someone who wakes up early and is more energetic in the morning. There’s a Korean proverb, “일찍 일어나는 새가 벌레를 잡는다” (The early bird catches the worm), which is perfect for a ‘아침형 인간’. I quite like this lifestyle of waking up before sunrise, exercising, and starting my day with a leisurely breakfast.
On the other hand, people who are more energetic at night and go to bed late are called ‘저녁형 인간(jeonyeokhyeong ingan)’. It’s similar to ‘night person’ in English. However, Koreans often use more interesting expressions than ‘저녁형 인간’. These are ‘올빼미족(olppaemijok)’ or ‘야행성(yahaengseong)’.
‘올빼미(olppaemi)’ means ‘owl’ and ‘족(jok)’ means ‘tribe’ or ‘group’. So, ‘올빼미족’ is a fun way to describe a group of people who stay up late like night-active owls. It’s a very common expression, used like this: “저는 완전 올빼미족이라서, 새벽 2시 전에는 잠을 못 자요.” (I’m a total night owl, so I can’t fall asleep before 2 AM.) The word ‘야행성(yahaengseong)’ (nocturnal) is used with a similar meaning. Originally, ‘야행성’ refers to the habits of animals that rest during the day and are active at night, but it’s a fun expression that can also be applied to people with similar habits.
What type are you? Talking about your own daily patterns in Korean will be great practice.
Wrapping Up Our Journey Through Time
Today, based on my experience in Cambodia, we’ve learned a variety of Korean expressions related to time. We learned how to talk about time differences with other countries using ‘시차(sicha)’ and ‘시차적응(sichajeogeung)’, and we also discovered how to describe the day with beautiful words like ‘새벽(saebyeok)’, ‘일출(ilchul)’, and ‘일몰(ilmol)’. Finally, we mastered how to introduce ourselves as an ‘아침형 인간(achimhyeong ingan)’ or an ‘올빼미족(olppaemijok)’ to talk about our lifestyles. Isn’t that wonderful?
Language isn’t just about memorizing words; it’s the process of using those words to express your thoughts and experiences. To make sure you don’t forget the expressions you learned today, download the Podo Korean app right now and review them. Through the various content within the app, you’ll be able to make today’s words truly your own. Don’t forget that consistent practice leads to perfect Korean skills! I’ll see you next time with another useful and interesting topic!
