Chapter 22
Weekdays + Today/Tomorrow/Yesterday
Learn the days of the week in Korean and the most common time words: today, tomorrow, and yesterday. These show up in almost every conversation.
Key words
| Korean | Meaning | Romanization | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오늘 | today | oneul | |
| 내일 | tomorrow | naeil | |
| 어제 | yesterday | eoje | |
| 요일 | day of the week | yoil |
Days of the week
Pattern: (day name) + 요일. Example: 월요일 = Monday.
| English | Korean | Romanization | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 월요일 | woryoil | |
| Tuesday | 화요일 | hwayoil | |
| Wednesday | 수요일 | suyoil | |
| Thursday | 목요일 | mogyoil | |
| Friday | 금요일 | geumyoil | |
| Saturday | 토요일 | toyoil | |
| Sunday | 일요일 | iryoil |
In fast speech, 요일 can sound like “yoil / yuil” depending on the speaker. Focus on recognizing the pattern.
Common phrases
| Korean | Meaning | Breakdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오늘 뭐 해요? | What are you doing today? | 오늘 + 뭐 + 해요 | |
| 내일 시간 있어요? | Do you have time tomorrow? | 내일 + 시간 + 있어요 | |
| 어제 뭐 했어요? | What did you do yesterday? | 어제 + 뭐 + 했어요 |
Asking and answering
| Question | Meaning | Sample answer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오늘 무슨 요일이에요? | What day is it today? | 오늘 월요일이에요. | |
| 내일은요? | How about tomorrow? | 내일은 화요일이에요. | |
| 어제는요? | How about yesterday? | 어제는 일요일이었어요. |
Tip: Use -은/는 to switch topics smoothly: 오늘은…, 내일은…, 어제는…
Quick practice
Say these out loud. Try to answer quickly without translating in your head.
| Prompt | Answer (example) | Focus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today is Monday. | 오늘은 월요일이에요. | 오늘 + 요일 | |
| Tomorrow is Friday. | 내일은 금요일이에요. | 내일 + 요일 | |
| Yesterday was Sunday. | 어제는 일요일이었어요. | 어제 + past tense | |
| What day is it today? | 오늘 무슨 요일이에요? | question pattern | |
| I’m free on Saturday. | 토요일에 시간 있어요. | 요일 + 에 |
Chapter goal: recognize weekdays instantly and use 오늘/내일/어제 naturally in questions and answers.