What you'll learn
- Add 오전 (AM) or 오후 (PM) to any clock time in the right place.
- Choose between 오전, 오후 and day-part words such as 아침 and 저녁.
- Say noon and midnight with 정오 and 자정.
- Use 반, 정각, 전 and 후 correctly.
- Prerequisites: the hours with 시 and minutes with 분. Estimated time: 25 minutes.
How to Say PM in Korean
You say PM in Korean with 오후 (ohu), placed before the time. 오후 세 시 means 3 PM, and 오후 일곱 시 삼십 분 means 7:30 PM. AM works the same way with 오전 (ojeon): 오전 아홉 시 is 9 AM.
| English | Korean | Reading aid |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 오전 아홉 시 | ojeon ahop si |
| 3 PM | 오후 세 시 | ohu se si |
| 7:30 PM | 오후 일곱 시 삼십 분 | ohu ilgop si samsip bun |
| 10:15 AM | 오전 열 시 십오 분 | ojeon yeol si sibo bun |
Both words are Sino-Korean in origin. 오전 comes from 午前 ("before noon") and 오후 from 午後 ("after noon"), and the word 오 here is the character for midday, not the number five. The hours after them still use native numbers, so 오후 세 시 uses the native 세.
This page teaches the words that mark the day. The full method for saying the hour and the minutes is on the page about how to tell time in Korean. If you want a short dictionary entry for the single word, see pm in Korean.
Why does the order feel reversed? English adds AM or PM as a small tag after the clock reading, but Korean treats the day part as the frame that the hour sits inside, like a house number inside a street name. Once you see 오후 as the frame, 오후 세 시 reads as "in the afternoon, three o'clock", and the order feels natural. Listen for the pattern in the audio above and repeat each phrase aloud once.
The next question is where these words sit in a longer sentence.
Where Do 오전 and 오후 Go in a Sentence?
오전 and 오후 go directly before the hour, and any day word goes before them. The full order is day + day part + hour + minute. This is the same big-to-small order Korean uses for dates.
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| day | 내일 | tomorrow |
| day part | 오후 | PM |
| hour | 세 시 | 3 o'clock |
| minute | 십오 분 | 15 minutes |
| together | 내일 오후 세 시 십오 분 | tomorrow at 3:15 PM |
When the time is the place of an event, add 에 after the last part: 내일 오후 세 시에 만나요 (Let's meet tomorrow at 3 PM). You do not repeat 에 after each word.
Common mistake: copying the English order. 세 시 오후 is wrong, and so is 세 시 십오 분 오후. The day part always comes first. The list of words for "tomorrow", "today" and similar words is on the page for Korean time expressions.
Besides 오전 and 오후, Korean has day-part words that carry more detail, and the next section lists them.
How Do You Say AM and the Parts of the Day?
You say AM with 오전, and you can also use a day-part word that names the exact part of the day. The five day-part words are 새벽, 아침, 낮, 저녁 and 밤, and the table shows them in order alongside 오전 and 오후. They are easier to use than the AM and PM split because each one carries a picture of the time of day.
| Word | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 새벽 | the small hours, dawn | 새벽 네 시 | 4 in the morning, before sunrise |
| 아침 | morning | 아침 일곱 시 | 7 in the morning |
| 오전 | AM (before noon) | 오전 열 시 | 10 AM |
| 낮 | daytime, midday | 낮 열두 시 | 12 at midday |
| 오후 | PM (after noon) | 오후 세 시 | 3 PM |
| 저녁 | evening | 저녁 여섯 시 | 6 in the evening |
| 밤 | night | 밤 열한 시 | 11 at night |
The boundaries are not fixed hours. In everyday talk 새벽 covers the hours before sunrise, 아침 covers the morning around breakfast, and 저녁 covers the hours from late afternoon into the evening when people eat dinner. Use these as natural labels rather than strict ranges.
Use one marker, not two. Say 아침 일곱 시 or 오전 일곱 시, but not 오전 아침 일곱 시. The marker 오전 is the general label, and a day-part word is the more specific label.
| Situation | Natural choice |
|---|---|
| A work meeting or schedule | 오전 or 오후 |
| An alarm at 5 | 새벽 다섯 시 |
| Breakfast | 아침 여덟 시 |
| Dinner | 저녁 일곱 시 |
| A late-night call | 밤 열 시 |
Two times of the day have their own words, and they cause the most doubt.
How Do You Say Noon and Midnight?
Noon is 정오 (jeongo) and midnight is 자정 (jajeong). In conversation people also say 낮 열두 시 for noon and 밤 열두 시 for midnight. These are clearer than a bare 열두 시, which can mean either.
| Time | Exact word | With the hour | Reading aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| noon | 정오 | 낮 열두 시 | jeongo / nat yeoldu si |
| midnight | 자정 | 밤 열두 시 | jajeong / bam yeoldu si |
With 오전 and 오후, the usual reading is 오후 열두 시 for noon and 오전 열두 시 for midnight. English speakers know the same logic: noon is 12 PM and midnight is 12 AM. If the exact moment matters, such as a flight, a train or a deadline, choose 정오 or 자정 because nobody can misread them.
Expert insight: 12:30 is a special case. 오후 열두 시 삼십 분 and 오후 열두 시 반 both mean 12:30 PM, the half hour after noon. The hour 12 is the same, and only the minutes change.
Now that the day parts are clear, the next modifiers fine-tune the minutes.
How Do 반, 정각, 전 and 후 Work?
반 means half past, 정각 means exactly on the hour, 전 means before, and 후 means after. Each one attaches to a time. They are short, and they replace longer phrases in everyday speech.
| Word | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 반 | half past | 세 시 반 | 3:30 |
| 정각 | exactly on the hour | 세 시 정각 | exactly 3:00 |
| 전 | before | 세 시 전에 | before 3 |
| 전 | minutes before | 세 시 오 분 전 | 5 minutes to 3 (2:55) |
| 후 | after | 세 시 후에 | after 3 |
| 쯤 | about | 세 시쯤 | about 3 |
반 and the minute form. 반 and 삼십 분 mean the same on the clock, so 세 시 반 equals 세 시 삼십 분. Many speakers prefer 반 in daily talk because it is shorter. For other minutes, say the number: 세 시 십오 분, 세 시 사십오 분. Korean has no common word for "quarter".
전 and 후 with minutes. To say "minutes to the hour", put 전 after the minutes: 세 시 오 분 전 is 5 minutes before 3, or 2:55. To say "in 5 minutes", use 후 or 뒤: 오 분 후에. The beginner-friendly option for both is to read the clock directly, such as 두 시 오십오 분. The lesson on minutes and seconds explains 전 and 후 with durations.
정각 is optional. 세 시 alone already means 3 o'clock. Add 정각 only to stress that it is exact: 세 시 정각에 시작해요 (It starts at exactly 3).
The same 반 works for durations after 시간: 두 시간 반 is two and a half hours. The 시 and 시간 pair is explained on the page about the hour with 시.
Times are often written with digits rather than words, and the next section shows how to read them.
How Do You Write AM and PM with Digits?
You write AM and PM with digits by putting 오전 or 오후 first, then the number, then the counter: 오후 3시 15분. The counter attaches to the digit. Koreans also write the clock style 오후 3:15, and apps often show 3:15 PM in the English pattern.
| Written | Read aloud |
|---|---|
| 오전 9시 | 오전 아홉 시 |
| 오후 3시 15분 | 오후 세 시 십오 분 |
| 오후 7시 30분 | 오후 일곱 시 삼십 분 |
| 오후 11시 45분 | 오후 열한 시 사십오 분 |
The spoken form always uses the native hour (아홉, 세, 열한) and the Sino-Korean minute (십오, 삼십, 사십오). The digits are a shorthand, so you read each one with the right counter system. The standard spelling rules (한글 맞춤법 제43항) allow counters such as 시 and 분 to attach to digits.
Writing is only one half of the skill. Speaking is the other, and the next section turns the words into real conversation.
How Do You Use AM and PM in Real Conversations?
AM and PM appear in questions about schedules and in answers that give a time. Use 오전 or 오후 when the time of day is not clear from the context, and skip it when it is. Here are eight sentences that cover plans, flights and appointments.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 오전 아홉 시에 회의가 있어요. | There is a meeting at 9 AM. |
| 오후 두 시에 병원에 가요. | I go to the hospital at 2 PM. |
| 비행기는 오후 다섯 시 삼십 분이에요. | The flight is at 5:30 PM. |
| 저녁 일곱 시에 식당을 예약했어요. | I booked a restaurant for 7 in the evening. |
| 새벽 여섯 시에 출발해요. | We leave at 6 in the early morning. |
| 밤 열 시까지 일해요. | I work until 10 at night. |
| 몇 시에 끝나요? | What time does it end? |
| 오후 네 시쯤 끝나요. | It ends at around 4 PM. |
When you are not sure which half of the day someone means, ask directly:
- 오전이에요, 오후예요? (Is it AM or PM?)
- 오후예요. (It's PM.)
The word 까지 in 밤 열 시까지 means "until", and the particle 에 means "at". Together they cover most schedule questions. With the practical patterns in place, a few mistaken beliefs are worth clearing up.
Which Misconceptions Slow Learners Down?
Three beliefs cause most confusion about AM and PM in Korean. Each one is a reasonable guess from English, which is why it persists.
"오후 means afternoon only." The word 오후 covers the whole second half of the day, from noon until midnight. So 오후 열한 시 is 11 PM, a late-night time. For the early part of the afternoon, 오후 두 시 or 오후 세 시 is natural, while 저녁 and 밤 are the labels for the later hours.
"AM and PM can go at the end, as in English." In English "3 PM" puts the marker last. In Korean the marker leads, and a Korean listener will find a trailing 오후 odd.
"반 and 정각 are required." Neither is required. 세 시 already means 3:00, and 세 시 삼십 분 is correct without 반. These two words are options that make speech shorter or more precise.
Expert insight: think of the Korean time phrase as a zoom lens that goes from wide to narrow: the day, then the part of the day, then the hour, then the minute. If you keep that order, the position of 오전 and 오후 will always be right. The same big-to-small thinking works in dates, such as year, month, then day.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make with 오전 and 오후?
Learners make five mistakes with AM and PM, and each has a simple fix.
| Mistake | Wrong | Right | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| English word order | 세 시 오후 | 오후 세 시 | the day part comes first |
| Double marker | 오전 아침 일곱 시 | 아침 일곱 시 | use one marker only |
| Sino hour after 오후 | 오후 삼 시 | 오후 세 시 | hours take native numbers |
| 열두 시 without context | 열두 시에 만나요 (unclear) | 정오에 만나요 | add 정오, 자정, 낮 or 밤 |
| Minutes plus 반 | 세 시 삼십 반 | 세 시 반 | 반 replaces the minutes |
The most common issue in practice is the first one. Say the day part before the hour a few times, and the habit forms quickly.
Limits of this lesson: this page teaches the 12-hour system that people use in conversation. Written timetables often show a 24-hour clock such as 15:00, and how people read these aloud depends on the setting. A Korean teacher or the audio on your ticket will show the local habit.
Practice Set
Answer each item before you read the answers.
- Say "3 PM".
- Say "9:30 AM".
- Say "6 in the evening".
- Say "at noon".
- Say "5 minutes to 3".
- Correct the mistake: 일곱 시 오후.
Answers:
- 오후 세 시 (ohu se si)
- 오전 아홉 시 반 or 오전 아홉 시 삼십 분 (ojeon ahop si ban)
- 저녁 여섯 시 (jeonyeok yeoseot si)
- 정오에 (jeongoe), or 낮 열두 시에
- 세 시 오 분 전 (se si o bun jeon)
- 오후 일곱 시. The day part comes before the hour.
Practice · 8
How do you say "3 PM"?
Show answer
오후 세 시
오후 goes before the hour, and the hour keeps its native number.
How do you say "9:30 AM"?
Show answer
오전 아홉 시 반
오전 comes first, and 반 replaces the minutes, so you never add 삼십 before it.
Which word means noon?
Show answer
정오
정오 is noon. 자정 is midnight and 정각 means exactly on the hour.
How do you say "5 minutes to 3"?
Show answer
세 시 오 분 전
전 after the minutes means "to the hour". 세 시 오 분 alone is 3:05.
Fix the error: 오전 아침 일곱 시.
Show answer
아침 일곱 시
Use one marker, not two: 아침 일곱 시 or 오전 일곱 시.
What does 오후 열한 시 mean?
Show answer
11 PM
오후 covers the whole second half of the day, from noon until midnight.
How do you say "tomorrow at 3:15 PM"?
Show answer
내일 오후 세 시 십오 분
The order is big to small: day, day part, hour, minute.
How do you say "exactly 3:00"?
Show answer
세 시 정각
정각 means exactly on the hour. 반 is half past and 쯤 is about.
Four correct answers or more means you know how to say PM in Korean and how to place the modifiers.
What Should You Learn Next?
You now know how to say PM in Korean: 오후 before the hour, 오전 for AM, 반 for half past and 정각 for exactly on the hour. Continue in this order:
- How to tell time in Korean to combine hours, minutes and day parts in one method.
- The hour with 시 to review all twelve hours.
- What time is it in Korean for the question and its polite and casual forms.
- Korean time expressions for words such as today, tomorrow and now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 오후 before or after the time in Korean?
Before. Korean puts 오후 (PM) or 오전 (AM) in front of the hour, so 3:00 PM is 오후 세 시, never 세 시 오후. The full order is day, then day part, then hour, then minutes: 내일 오후 세 시 십오 분. English puts AM and PM last, which is the opposite habit.
How do I say noon in Korean?
The exact word is 정오 (jeongo). In conversation people also say 낮 열두 시 (daytime twelve o'clock) or 오후 열두 시. Midnight is 자정 (jajeong) or 밤 열두 시. If the exact moment matters, as in a meeting or a deadline, choose 정오 or 자정 because they cannot be misread.
What is 새벽 in Korean?
새벽 (saebyeok) is the time before sunrise, the small hours of the night and dawn. People say 새벽 두 시 for 2 AM and 새벽 다섯 시 for 5 AM. It is a day-part word that replaces 오전 in these early hours, so it is natural to use 새벽 instead of 오전 here.
What does 반 mean when telling time?
반 (ban) means half. After the hour it means half past, so 세 시 반 is 3:30. It replaces 삼십 분 on the clock only. For a length of time, 반 also works after 시간: 두 시간 반 is two and a half hours. For other minutes, say the number plus 분.
Can I use 아침 or 저녁 instead of 오전 and 오후?
Yes. 아침 (morning) and 저녁 (evening) are natural choices before an hour: 아침 일곱 시 is 7 in the morning, and 저녁 여섯 시 is 6 in the evening. Use one marker, not two, so say 아침 일곱 시 or 오전 일곱 시, but not 오전 아침 일곱 시.
