Korean for Beginners: TOPIK 1 Reading – Dates and Simple Schedules

Welcome to your first step in learning Korean! This article will focus on understanding dates and simple schedules, a crucial skill for everyday conversations. We’ll be working with material suitable for the TOPIK 1 exam.

Understanding Korean Dates

Korean uses a different system than English for dates. It follows the format: Day – Month – Year (DD-MM-YYYY). Let’s break it down:

• Day (날): Represents the day of the month.
• Month (월): 1st month is January, 2nd month is February, and so on.
• Year (년): Uses the Gregorian calendar year.

Here are some common phrases:

• 오늘이 몇일이에요? (Oneul-i migeur-ieyo?) – What’s today’s date?
• [날짜]입니다. ([nalja]imnida.) – It is [date]. For example: 15일입니다. (Ilseupnimnida) – It is the 15th.

Common mistakes to watch out for: Many beginners mix up the order of day, month and year. Always remember DD-MM-YYYY!

Reading Simple Schedules

Korean schedules often include times written in a 24-hour format (e.g., 10:00 AM = 10:00, 10:00 PM = 22:00). Let’s look at an example:

예문:

수요일 오후 3시에 영어 회의가 있습니다.
(Syo-uyul ohu 3sie yeongeo hoeikaga isseumnida.)

Translation: “There is an English meeting at 3:00 PM on Tuesday.”

• 수요일 (syoyuyul) – Tuesday
• 오후 (ohu) – Afternoon
• 3시 (si) – 3 o’clock
• 영어 회의 (yeongeo hoeik) – English meeting
• 있습니다 (isseumnida) – There is/will be

Let’s practice:

Example Dialogue 1

A: 오늘 저녁에 뭐 할 거예요? (Oneul jeonyeoge mwo hal geoyeyo?) – What are you doing tonight?

B: 화요일 오후 7시에 친구랑 영화를 볼 거예요. (Hwaryuyul ohu seubyeon sije chingureang yeonghwareul bol geoyeyo.) – I’m going to watch a movie with my friend at 7:00 PM on Monday.

Example Dialogue 2

A: 내일 아침에 뭐 할 거예요? (Naeile achime mwo hal geoyeyo?) – What are you doing tomorrow morning?

B: 토요일 아침 9시에 학원 수업이 있어요. (Towuyul achim 9sie hakwon sueubi isseoyo.) – I have a tutoring class at 9:00 AM on Saturday.

Key Vocabulary

• 날짜 (nalja) – Date
• 요일 (yoyil) – Day of the week
• 시간 (sigan) – Time
• 회의 (hoeik) – Meeting
• 수업 (supeop) – Class/Lesson

Keep practicing reading these phrases and try to imagine yourself in these scenarios. The more you read, the better you’ll become at understanding Korean dates and schedules!