이번주 vs 다음주: Clear Time Sense Distinction

이번주 (i-beon-ju, ibeonju) · 다음주 (da-eum-ju, daeumju)

이번주 refers to the current week including today, while 다음주 means the week after this one, often causing confusion in time expressions.

Comparison of Korean words 이번주 and 다음주 with calendar illustration

Word-by-word breakdown

One lane per word — no nested boxes, just the gist.

이번주(i-beon-ju, ibeonju)

Refers to the current week including today.

When to use

Current week schedule, Meeting this week, Weekend plans including today

The nuance

‘이번주’ indicates the week that includes today, so use it when referring to the current calendar week containing the present day.

다음주(da-eum-ju, daeumju)

Refers to the week immediately after the current one.

When to use

Appointment next week, Monday of next week, Schedule after current week ends

The nuance

‘다음주’ means the week following the current week, so use it when talking about the week after this one ends.

Real-world examples

  • 이번주 금요일에 회의가 있어요.

    i-beon-ju geum-yo-il-e hoe-ui-ga iss-eo-yo., i beon ju geum yo il e hoe ui ga iss eo yo.

    Friday within the current week including today, so ‘이번주’ is correct.

  • 다음주 금요일에 회의가 있어요.

    da-eum-ju geum-yo-il-e hoe-ui-ga iss-eo-yo., da eum ju geum yo il e hoe ui ga iss eo yo.

    Refers to Friday of the week after this one, so ‘다음주’ is correct.

  • 이번주 월요일에 약속이 있었어요.

    i-beon-ju wol-yo-il-e yak-sok-i iss-eoss-eo-yo., i beon ju wol yo il e yak sok i iss eoss eo yo.

    If today is after Monday, ‘이번주 월요일’ correctly refers to this week's Monday.

  • 다음주 월요일에 약속이 있었어요.

    da-eum-ju wol-yo-il-e yak-sok-i iss-eoss-eo-yo., da eum ju wol yo il e yak sok i iss eoss eo yo.

    ‘다음주’ refers to a future week, so it cannot be used with past tense.

  • 이번주에 휴가 갈 거예요.

    i-beon-ju-e hyu-ga gal geo-ye-yo., i beon ju e hyu ga gal geo ye yo.

    Vacation planned within the current week, so ‘이번주’ fits.

  • 다음주에 휴가 갔어요.

    da-eum-ju-e hyu-ga gass-eo-yo., da eum ju e hyu ga gass eo yo.

    ‘다음주’ indicates a future week, so it is incompatible with past tense.

  • 다음주에 프로젝트 마감일입니다.

    da-eum-ju-e peu-ro-jek-teu ma-gam-il-ip-ni-da., da eum ju e peu ro jek teu ma gam il ip ni da.

    Deadline is in the week after this one, so ‘다음주’ is correct.

  • 이번주에 프로젝트 마감일입니다.

    i-beon-ju-e peu-ro-jek-teu ma-gam-il-ip-ni-da., i beon ju e peu ro jek teu ma gam il ip ni da.

    If the deadline is next week, ‘이번주’ is incorrect.

Quick quiz

  1. Which sentence correctly uses ‘이번주’?

    다음 중 ‘이번주’가 적절한 문장은?(da-eumjung‘i-beon-ju’gajeok-jeol-hanmun-jang-eun?, daeumjung‘ibeonju’gajeokjeolhanmunjangeun?)
  2. Which sentence correctly uses ‘다음주’?

    ‘다음주’를 올바르게 사용한 문장은?(‘da-eum-ju’reulol-ba-reu-gesa-yong-hanmun-jang-eun?, ‘daeumju’reulolbareugesayonghanmunjangeun?)
  3. Which sentence should use ‘이번주’ instead of ‘다음주’?

    ‘다음주’ 대신 ‘이번주’를 써야 하는 문장은?(‘da-eum-ju’dae-sin‘i-beon-ju’reulsseo-yaha-neunmun-jang-eun?, ‘daeumju’daesin‘ibeonju’reulsseoyahaneunmunjangeun?)

More comparisons to explore

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