Korean for Beginners: TOPIK 1 – Numbers, Dates & Time

Welcome to your first step in learning Korean! This guide focuses on essential conversational phrases related to numbers, dates, days of the week, and time – all crucial for passing the TOPIK 1 exam. We’ll focus on practical usage and common mistakes to help you build confidence.

Numbers (숫자 – Sujja)

Korean uses a decimal system like English. However, there are some key differences. Here’s the basics:

• One: 하나 (hana)
• Two: 둘 (dul)
• Three: 셋 (set)
• Four: 넷 (net)
• Five: 다섯 (daseot)
• Six: 여섯 (yeoseot)
• Seven: 일곱 (ilgop)
• Eight: 여덟 (yeodeol)
• Nine: 아홉 (ahop)
• Ten: 열 (yeol)

Example: “저는 넷 개 (jeoneun net gae) – I have four dogs.” (개 – gae means “dog”)

Dates (날짜 – Naljja)

Korean dates are expressed as month/day. Remember, the month names differ slightly from English:

• January: 1월 (ilwol)
• February: 2월 (iwol)
• March: 3월 (samwol)
• April: 4월 (samil wol)
• May: 5월 (o-wol)
• June: 6월 (yixwol)
• July: 7월 (chilwol)
• August: 8월 (baegwol)
• September: 9월 (go-wol)
• October: 10월 (ju-wol)
• November: 11월 (il-wol)
• December: 12월 (duieol wol)

Example: “내일은 6월 15일이에요 (naeireuneun yixwol ilcheyo) – Tomorrow is June 15th.”

Mistake to watch out for: “오늘 몇 날짜예요? (oneul myeot naljjayeoyo?)” – Asking “What date is today?” sounds more natural as “지금 오늘이 몇일이에요? (jigeum oneuri myeotil iyaeyo?).”

Days of the Week (요일 – Yoyil)

These are pretty similar to English:

• Sunday: 일요일 (iryoil)
• Monday: 월요일 (woyol)
• Tuesday: 화요일 (hwa yoil)
• Wednesday: 수요일 (su yoil)
• Thursday: 목요일 (mok yoil)
• Friday: 금요일 (geum yoil)
• Saturday: 토요일 (toyol)

Example: “저는 월요일에 쉬어요 (jeoneun woyole mureoyo) – I rest on Mondays.”

Time (시간 – Sigan)

Korean time is expressed as hour:minute. The numbers 1-12 are the same as English.

• 1: 일 (il)
• 2: 이 (i)
• 3: 삼 (sam)
• 4: 사 (sa)
• 5: 오 (o)
• 6: 육 (yuk)
• 7: 칠 (chil)
• 8: 팔 (pal)
• 9: 구 (gu)
• 10: 십 (sip)
• 11: надцать (nandeut) – Note: This pronunciation is used. You can also say ‘열’ (yeol).
• 12: 열두 (yeoldu)

Example: “정오에 만나요 (jeongeoe mannayo) – Let’s meet at noon.”

Important Note: Don’t worry too much about perfect pronunciation initially. Native speakers will appreciate your effort.

Putting it Together

Practice these phrases regularly! The more you use them, the more natural they will become. Start simple conversations with yourself or a Korean language partner.