Key Facts
- Hangul: 시계; Revised Romanization: sigye
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word; used for both clocks and watches.
Clock in Korean: What Does 시계 Mean?
시계 means clock or watch. The register is neutral. Context or a compound tells you which device is meant.
How Do You Pronounce 시계?
Say si-gye. The second syllable starts with a y glide. The standard pronunciation rules also allow [si-ge], without the glide, and that is what you usually hear in everyday speech. Both are correct.
Example Sentences with 시계
시계가 고장 났어요.
sigyega gojang nasseoyo.
The clock is broken.
고장 났어요 means it broke down. 가 marks 시계 as the subject.
벽에 시계가 있어요.
byeoge sigyega isseoyo.
There is a clock on the wall.
벽에 gives the wall as the location. 있어요 reports that the clock is there.
저는 시계를 자주 봐요.
jeoneun sigyereul jaju bwayo.
I often look at the clock.
자주 means often, and 봐요 is the verb for looking.
How the Examples Work
Each example uses 시계 with a different verb or location, which shows its grammar. 고장 났어요 reports a fault, 있어요 reports presence, and 보다 reports looking. The collocations add 벽시계 for a wall clock and 시계가 멈추다 for a stopped clock. When context is unclear, adding 벽 or 손목 at the front settles whether you mean the wall or the wrist.
Phrases Built on 시계
Looking at, stopping and compound clock types appear here.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 시계를 보다 | to look at the clock |
| 벽시계 | wall clock |
| 알람 시계 | alarm clock |
| 시계가 멈추다 | the clock stops |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mix up the device and the thing it measures.
- Wrong: 시계 for "time"
- Right: 시간 (time); 시계 is only the clock or watch
To ask what time it is, say 몇 시예요?, and keep 시계 for naming the device.
시계 Compared with Similar Words
손목시계 is a watch worn on the wrist. 시간 is time in general, not the device.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 손목시계 | wristwatch | A watch worn on the wrist. |
| 시간 | time | Time in general, not the device. |
Where Does 시계 Come From?
시계 is Sino-Korean, written 時計 in hanja: 時 time and 計 measure, so a device that measures time.
At a Watch Repair Counter
A customer brings in a watch that has stopped. The repairer asks when the problem began before offering to examine it.
Customer
시계가 멈췄어요.
Sigyega meomchwosseoyo.
My watch has stopped.
Repairer
언제부터 그랬어요?
Eonjebuteo geuraesseoyo?
Since when has it been like that?
Customer
어제부터요. 배터리 문제일까요?
Eojebuteoyo. Baeteori munjeilkkayo?
Since yesterday. Could it be the battery?
Repairer
한번 볼게요.
Hanbeon bolgeyo.
I’ll take a look.
Here 시계 means a watch because the customer is presenting one at the counter. The same first line could describe a wall clock at home. 어제부터요 is a short polite answer meaning “since yesterday”; it answers the repairer’s question without repeating a whole sentence.
What Does a Fast or Slow 시계 Mean?
시계가 빨라요 means the clock or watch is fast: it shows a time ahead of the correct time. 시계가 느려요 means it is slow, showing a time behind the correct time. These describe the device’s timekeeping, rather than someone reading the clock quickly or slowly.
시계를 맞추다 means to set the clock or watch to the correct time. In this phrase, 맞추다 is about making its reading match the actual time. It can mean adjusting the hands of an analog clock or changing the displayed time on a digital one.
시계가 멈추다 says the clock stops. 시계가 고장 나다 says it breaks down. A stopped clock may simply need a battery, so the first expression reports what you can see without deciding the cause. At a repair counter, that distinction helps you explain the problem accurately.
Where Will You Hear 시계 in Daily Life?
At home or in a classroom, 시계를 보다 means to look at a clock or check the time. The verb 보다 describes looking at the device. If someone keeps checking a watch during a conversation, the action may suggest they are worried about time; that implication comes from the scene rather than from the noun itself.
In a shop, 시계 can label a whole product category. 벽시계 narrows it to wall clocks and 손목시계 to wristwatches. A product listing may also use 탁상시계, a clock that stands on a desk or table. The extra word tells you where the object belongs.
When someone asks 몇 시예요?, answer with the time rather than pointing out that you own a 시계. The question uses 시, the hour unit. 시간 is the broader word for time or a duration, while 시계 remains the object that displays it.
Useful Words beside a Clock
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 시곗바늘 | clock hands | The moving hands on an analog clock. |
| 배터리 | battery | A useful word when a battery-powered clock stops. |
| 알람 | alarm | The alert; it can also be set on a phone. |
| 탁상시계 | desk clock | A freestanding clock for a table or desk. |
The everyday objects lesson places clocks alongside other things around a home. For a shopping request, decide first whether you need a device, a replacement battery or an alarm function: those are three different things even when they concern the same 시계.
A wristwatch takes the wearing verb 차다: 시계를 차다 means to wear a watch. This is a useful fixed pairing because the general clothing verb 입다 is used for garments. Looking at your watch and wearing it therefore use different verbs with the same noun.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 시계 always mean a wall clock?
- What does 시계가 빨라요 tell you?
- Which phrase means setting a clock to the right time?
Show answers
- No. It can also mean a watch; context or a compound identifies the type.
- The clock or watch is fast: its displayed time is ahead.
- 시계를 맞추다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say clock in Korean?
Say 시계 (sigye).
Does 시계 also mean watch?
Yes. For a wrist watch you can say 손목시계.
What is the difference between 시계 and 시간?
시계 is the device and 시간 is time itself.
What is an alarm clock?
알람 시계.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Everyday objects words places 시계 among its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with 손목시계 on its own page.
- Compare with 시간 on its own page.