Days & Months in Korean
Korean days and months are built on a clean, logical system using Sino-Korean numbers. Months are simply a number plus 월 (wol), and days of the week end in 요일 (yoil). Compared to Japanese with its irregular day-of-month readings, Korean keeps things refreshingly systematic. This guide covers everything you need for dates in Korean.
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Days of the Week
Korean weekdays use the same element-based system as Japanese and Chinese: Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth, Sun. Each day ends with 요일 (yoil, "day of the week").
In casual conversation, Koreans often drop 일 (il) from the day name: 월요 (woryo) for Monday, 화요 (hwayo) for Tuesday. You will hear these shortened forms constantly in everyday speech.
Months of the Year
Korean months are the easiest part: Sino-Korean number + 월 (wol, "month"). No separate month names exist -- just the number system.
Watch out for June and October. June is 유월 (yuwol), dropping the final ᆨ from 육. October is 시월 (siwol), dropping the final ᆸ from 십. These are the only irregular months.
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Days of the Month
Days of the month use Sino-Korean numbers plus 일 (il, "day"). Unlike Japanese, there are no irregular readings -- the system is completely regular.
Useful Date Expressions
- 오늘 무슨 요일이에요? (Oneul museun yoirieyo?) -- What day is it today?
- 오늘 월요일이에요. (Oneul woryoirieyo.) -- Today is Monday.
- 오늘 몇 월 몇 일이에요? (Oneul myeot wol myeot irieyo?) -- What is the date today?
- 생일이 몇 월 몇 일이에요? (Saengiri myeot wol myeot irieyo?) -- When is your birthday?
- 월요일에 봐요. (Woryoire bwayo.) -- See you on Monday.
Prepositions and Particles with Dates
Korean uses particles to indicate time:
- 에 (e) -- on/in/at (for specific times): 월요일에 (on Monday), 3월에 (in March)
- 부터 (buteo) -- from: 월요일부터 (from Monday)
- 까지 (kkaji) -- until: 금요일까지 (until Friday)
- 마다 (mada) -- every: 월요일마다 (every Monday)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do months work in Korean?
Korean months use Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...) plus 월 (wol, month). January is 일월 (irwol), February is 이월 (iwol), and so on. If you know Sino-Korean numbers 1-12, you know all the months.
Are there irregular month names in Korean?
Two months have slight pronunciation changes: June is 유월 (yuwol), not "yukwol," and October is 시월 (siwol), not "sipwol." The final consonants of 육 (yuk) and 십 (sip) are dropped before 월 for easier pronunciation.
What number system is used for days of the month?
Days of the month use Sino-Korean numbers plus 일 (il, day): 1일 (iril), 2일 (iil), 3일 (samil). This is straightforward with no irregular readings, unlike Japanese.
How do I say the date in Korean?
Korean dates follow the order year + 년 + month + 월 + day + 일: 2026년 3월 5일 (i-cheon-i-sip-yuk-nyeon sam-wol o-il) for March 5, 2026. The largest unit (year) comes first, then month, then day.