What does 오늘밤 mean?

오늘밤 (o-neul-bam, oneulbam)

오늘밤 (oneulbam) means 'tonight,' referring to the time from evening to night today. It's commonly used in daily conversation to specify a time frame.

Clock showing evening and night time

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

오늘밤(o-neul-bam, oneulbam)

오늘밤 means 'tonight,' specifically the time from this evening until before midnight today.

Nuances

  • Refers specifically to evening until midnight today.
  • Different from '내일 새벽' (early tomorrow) or '오늘 낮' (today daytime).
  • Can express feelings related to tonight (e.g., 'It's tough tonight').

When to use

daily conversation, making plans, song lyrics, movie dialogue

In context

오늘밤 functions as a time adverb modifying verbs or adjectives, commonly used in casual spoken Korean. For example, '오늘밤에 만나요' means 'Let's meet tonight.'

Real-world examples

  • 오늘밤에 별이 많이 보일 거예요.

    o-neul-bam-e byeol-i man-i bo-il geo-ye-yo., o neul bam e byeol i man i bo il geo ye yo.

    오늘밤 correctly indicates the time frame from evening to night.

  • 오늘밤 우리는 영화를 볼 거예요.

    o-neul-bam u-ri-neun yeong-hwa-reul bol geo-ye-yo., o neul bam u ri neun yeong hwa reul bol geo ye yo.

    오늘밤 appropriately expresses plans scheduled for tonight.

  • 오늘밤 아침에 일찍 일어나야 해요.

    o-neul-bam a-chim-e il-jjik il-eo-na-ya hae-yo., o neul bam a chim e il jjik il eo na ya hae yo.

    오늘밤 cannot logically refer to morning time; it's only evening to night.

  • 내일 오늘밤에 비가 올 거예요.

    nae-il o-neul-bam-e bi-ga ol geo-ye-yo., nae il o neul bam e bi ga ol geo ye yo.

    오늘밤 refers to tonight, so combining it with '내일' is contradictory.

Quick quiz

  1. What time does 오늘밤 refer to?

    오늘밤이 뜻하는 시간은 언제인가요?(o-neul-bam-itteus-ha-neunsi-gan-euneon-je-in-ga-yo?, oneulbamitteushaneunsiganeuneonjeingayo?)
  2. Which sentence uses 오늘밤 correctly?

    다음 문장 중 올바른 사용은?(da-eummun-jangjungol-ba-reunsa-yong-eun?, daeummunjangjungolbareunsayongeun?)

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