오늘(o-neul, oneul)
Refers to the current date, the present day.
When to use
current date, today's tasks, today's weather
The nuance
Used to refer to the same date as the current moment; cannot indicate past or future.
오늘 vs 어제 vs 내일: Mastering Time Expressions
오늘 (o-neul, oneul) · 어제 (eo-je, eoje) · 내일 (nae-il, naeil)
오늘 (oneul), 어제 (eoje), and 내일 (naeil) indicate present, past, and future times respectively, requiring precise usage based on context.
Word-by-word breakdown
One lane per word — no nested boxes, just the gist.
어제(eo-je, eoje)
Refers to the day immediately before today, a past day.
When to use
past date, events of yesterday, yesterday's news
The nuance
Used only for the day one day before the current date; cannot replace 오늘 or 내일.
내일(nae-il, naeil)
Refers to the day immediately after today, a future day.
When to use
future date, tasks for tomorrow, tomorrow's schedule
The nuance
Used only for the day one day after the current date; cannot replace 오늘 or 어제.
Real-world examples
오늘 날씨가 정말 좋아요.
o-neul nal-ssi-ga jeong-mal joh-a-yo., o neul nal ssi ga jeong mal joh a yo.
오늘 refers to the current date, so the sentence is natural.
어제 날씨가 정말 좋아요.
eo-je nal-ssi-ga jeong-mal joh-a-yo., eo je nal ssi ga jeong mal joh a yo.
어제 indicates a past date, so this is correct.
내일 날씨가 정말 좋아요.
nae-il nal-ssi-ga jeong-mal joh-a-yo., nae il nal ssi ga jeong mal joh a yo.
내일 refers to a future date, so this is appropriate.
어제는 오늘 할 일이 많아요.
eo-je-neun o-neul hal il-i man-a-yo., eo je neun o neul hal il i man a yo.
어제 refers to the past and cannot be combined with 'tasks for today'.
내일은 어제 친구를 만났어요.
nae-il-eun eo-je chin-gu-reul man-nass-eo-yo., nae il eun eo je chin gu reul man nass eo yo.
내일 is future, but 'met yesterday' is past, so the sentence is incorrect.
오늘은 내일 학교에 갑니다.
o-neul-eun nae-il hak-gyo-e gap-ni-da., o neul eun nae il hak gyo e gap ni da.
Mixing 오늘 and 내일 causes temporal confusion, making it unnatural.
어제 친구와 영화를 봤어요.
eo-je chin-gu-wa yeong-hwa-reul bwass-eo-yo., eo je chin gu wa yeong hwa reul bwass eo yo.
어제 indicates past, so this sentence is appropriate.
내일 중요한 회의가 있습니다.
nae-il jung-yo-han hoe-ui-ga iss-seup-ni-da., nae il jung yo han hoe ui ga iss seup ni da.
내일 refers to future, so the sentence is natural.
Quick quiz
Which sentence correctly uses '오늘'?
다음 중 '오늘'을 올바르게 사용한 문장은?(da-eumjung'o-neul'eulol-ba-reu-gesa-yong-hanmun-jang-eun?, daeumjung'oneul'eulolbareugesayonghanmunjangeun?)Which sentence correctly uses '어제'?
'어제'를 올바르게 사용한 문장은?('eo-je'reulol-ba-reu-gesa-yong-hanmun-jang-eun?, 'eoje'reulolbareugesayonghanmunjangeun?)Which sentence correctly uses '내일'?
'내일'이 맞는 문장은?('nae-il'imaj-neunmun-jang-eun?, 'naeil'imajneunmunjangeun?)
What does it mean?
More comparisons to explore
- 오늘 vs 어제 vs 내일: Mastering Time Expressions
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- 내일 vs 모레: When to Use Each?
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