Monday = 월요일, January = 1월. Here are the days, months and how to say a date in Korean, with audio.
Days of the week
Each day is a planet, inherited from the classical calendar: moon, fire, water, wood, gold, earth, sun. The suffix 요일 means "day of the week".
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 월요일 | woryoil | Monday (월 = moon) |
| 화요일 | hwayoil | Tuesday (화 = fire) |
| 수요일 | suyoil | Wednesday (수 = water) |
| 목요일 | mogyoil | Thursday (목 = wood) |
| 금요일 | geumyoil | Friday (금 = gold) |
| 토요일 | toyoil | Saturday (토 = earth) |
| 일요일 | iryoil | Sunday (일 = sun) |
| 주말 | jumal | weekend |
| 평일 | pyeongil | weekday |
| 무슨 요일이에요? | museun yoirieyo? | What day is it? |
The twelve months
Months use the Sino-Korean number + 월. Watch out: June and October drop a final consonant for euphony (6 + 월 → 유월 not "육월", 10 + 월 → 시월).
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1월 | irwol | January |
| 2월 | iwol | February |
| 3월 | samwol | March |
| 4월 | sawol | April |
| 5월 | owol | May |
| 6월 | yuwol | June (exception: 육 drops its ㄱ) |
| 7월 | chirwol | July |
| 8월 | parwol | August |
| 9월 | guwol | September |
| 10월 | siwol | October (exception: 십 drops its ㅂ) |
| 11월 | sibirwol | November |
| 12월 | sibiwol | December |
Today, yesterday, tomorrow and beyond
The most common time markers in conversation. To talk about the recent past or near future, combine 지난 (last), 이번 (this), 다음 (next) with day, week or month.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 오늘 | oneul | today |
| 어제 | eoje | yesterday |
| 내일 | naeil | tomorrow |
| 그저께 | geujeokke | the day before yesterday |
| 모레 | more | the day after tomorrow |
| 이번 주 | ibeon ju | this week |
| 지난 주 | jinan ju | last week |
| 다음 주 | daeum ju | next week |
| 이번 달 | ibeon dal | this month |
| 지난 달 | jinan dal | last month |
| 다음 달 | daeum dal | next month |
| 올해 | olhae | this year |
| 작년 | jangnyeon | last year |
| 내년 | naenyeon | next year |
Saying a full date
Korean format goes from biggest to smallest: year, month, day. Sino-Korean numbers are used for all three.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2026년 | icheon-isim-yuk-nyeon | year 2026 |
| 5월 8일 | owol parir | May 8th |
| 2026년 5월 8일 | icheon-isim-yuk-nyeon owol parir | May 8, 2026 |
| 오늘 며칠이에요? | oneul myeochirieyo? | What's the date today? |
| 생일이 언제예요? | saengiri eonjeyeyo? | When is your birthday? |
| 월말 | wolmal | end of the month |
| 월초 | wolcho | beginning of the month |
| 연말 | yeonmal | end of the year |
| 연초 | yeoncho | beginning of the year |
| 휴일 | hyuil | public holiday |
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "May 8, 2026" in Korean?
Korean goes from biggest to smallest: 2026년 5월 8일 ("2026-year 5-month 8-day"). All three units use Sino-Korean numbers. When read aloud each digit is voiced: 이천이십육 년 오월 팔일.
Why is 6월 read "yuwol" instead of "yuk-wol"?
For euphony. The final ㄱ in 육 (6) drops when followed by 월 (month), giving 유월. Same for 10 + 월 which becomes 시월 (not "십월"). These are the only two exceptions to remember across the 12 months.
What's the difference between 일 (day) and 날 (day)?
일 (Sino-Korean) is used for dates and counted durations: 5월 8일, 3일 동안 ("for 3 days"). 날 (native) is used for a day in a qualitative or metaphorical sense: 좋은 날 ("a beautiful day"), 그 날 ("that day"). They coexist and aren't interchangeable.
How do you ask "what day is it?"
Two different questions depending on what you want. For the day of the week: 무슨 요일이에요? ("what day of the week?"). For the date: 며칠이에요? ("what number?"). You can pair either with 오늘 (today) at the start.