TOPIK I Core Vocabulary · Time & Dates ①

Today, tomorrow, yesterday — 오늘, 내일, 어제, 지금, 시간

These five words tell you when something happens. As time words, 오늘 · 내일 · 어제 do not take -에. You can still add other particles (small words added after a noun), as in 오늘은 and 내일까지.

01오늘oneul

today · the current day.

Note 오늘 does not take 에. 오늘 만나요 is correct, and 오늘에 만나요 is wrong.

Examples 오늘은 (as for today) · 오늘 아침 (this morning)

오늘 저녁에 시간 있어요? Do you have time this evening?  |  저녁 = evening  |  Do not add 에 to 오늘, but add it to 저녁

02내일naeil

tomorrow · the day after today.

Note Like 오늘, 내일 does not take 에.

Examples 내일 만나다 (meet tomorrow) · 내일까지 (by tomorrow)

내일 학교에서 만나요. Let's meet at school tomorrow.  |  에서 marks the place where people meet

03어제eoje

yesterday · the day before today.

Note A sentence with 어제 usually takes a past ending, as in 어제 만났어요. One exception is 어제부터 아파요. Here the situation continues until now.

Examples 어제 갔다 (went yesterday) · 어제 봤다 (saw ~ yesterday)

어제 친구를 만났어요. I met a friend yesterday.  |  만났어요 = past polite form of 만나다  |  The person met takes 을/를

04지금jigeum

now · at the present time.

Examples 지금 하다 (do it now) · 지금부터 (from now on)

지금 어디에 계세요? Where are you now?  |  어디 = where  |  계세요 = respectful form of 있어요  |  This question is common on the phone

05시간sigan

time · time in general, or free time you can spend.

Note 시간 also means hour as a unit. So 세 시간 is three hours. A number in front usually shows the unit.

Examples 시간이 있다 (to have time) · 시간이 없다 (to have no time)

여기까지 두 시간 걸렸어요. It took two hours to get here.  |  까지 = as far as  |  걸리다 = to take time  |  Use native Korean numbers when counting hours

Quick check3 questions

Fill in each blank in Korean. Every answer appears above.

1. __________ 학교에서 만나요. (Let's meet at school ______ — the day after today.)
2. __________ 친구를 만났어요. (I met a friend ______ — the day before today.)
3. 여기까지 두 __________ 걸렸어요. (It took two ______ to get here.)

Show answers

1. 내일   2. 어제   3. 시간

In 2, the past ending 만났어요 is the key.

Study tip Many time words take -에: 세 시에 (at three), 주말에 (on the weekend). But 오늘, 내일, and 어제 do not take -에 when they show when an action happens. You can still add other particles, as in 오늘은 and 내일까지.