Key Facts
- Hangul: 금요일; Revised Romanization: geumyoil
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral, standard day name; calendars abbreviate it to 금.
- Hanja: 金曜日 (金 gold, metal + 曜 weekday + 日 day)
Friday in Korean: What Does 금요일 Mean?
금요일 has one sense, Friday. The register is neutral, and the abbreviated calendar form is 금. The slang word 불금 is a casual name for a lively Friday night; use it with friends, not in formal writing.
How Do You Pronounce 금요일?
Say geu-myo-il. The final ㅁ of 금 moves into the next syllable, which starts with a vowel, so there is no break after geum. This linked form is the standard pronunciation, and the romanization geumyoil reflects it.
Example Sentences with 금요일
금요일에 약속이 있어요.
Geumyoire yaksogi isseoyo
I have plans on Friday.
The particle 에 after the day marks "on Friday". 약속 means plans or an appointment.
금요일 밤에 친구를 만나요.
Geumyoil bame chingureul mannayo
I meet friends on Friday night.
금요일 밤 means Friday night. It sits in front of 에 to show the time, and 만나요 means "meet".
내일은 금요일이에요.
Naeireun geumyoirieyo
Tomorrow is Friday.
내일은 means "as for tomorrow", and 금요일이에요 means "is Friday". Use it to say what day it is.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Time phrases build on 금요일: 금요일 밤 is Friday night, 이번 금요일 is this Friday, and 금요일마다 is every Friday. 불금 is the slang version.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 금요일 밤 | Friday night |
| 이번 금요일 | this Friday |
| 금요일마다 | every Friday |
| 불금 | Friday night (slang) |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ geum-yo-il, with a break after 금
Correct: ✓ geu-myo-il, with the ㅁ carried into the next syllable
Why: a final consonant moves into a following syllable that starts with a vowel. The second slip is grammatical: for "on Friday" use 금요일에, as in 금요일에 약속이 있어요. Casual speech sometimes drops 에, but keeping it is never wrong.
금요일 Compared with Similar Words
주말 is the weekend, which starts after Friday. 금 is the single-character name on a calendar and also means gold or money.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 불금 | 'fiery Friday' (slang) | 불금 is casual slang for a lively Friday night out, not a neutral day name. |
| 금 | gold/money | On its own, 금 means gold. Only on a calendar does it stand for Friday. |
| 주말 | weekend | 주말 is the weekend, which starts after Friday. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
金曜日 combines 金 (gold, metal), 曜 (weekday) and 日 (day). 曜 originally means a shining heavenly body. East Asian calendars name the seven days after the sun, the moon and the five planets visible to the naked eye, and each planet is linked to one of the five elements: fire, water, wood, metal and earth. Friday belongs to Venus, the metal planet, and the same 金 is the word 금, gold.
Making Plans after Work
Two coworkers arrange dinner for Friday. They name both the day and the time so the plan is clear.
Jisu
이번 금요일에 시간 있어요?
Ibeon geumyoire sigan isseoyo?
Do you have time this Friday?
Alex
네. 저녁에 같이 밥 먹을까요?
Ne. Jeonyeoge gachi bap meogeulkkayo?
Yes. Shall we have dinner together?
Jisu
좋아요. 금요일 일곱 시에 만나요.
Joayo. Geumyoil ilgop sie mannayo.
Sounds good. Let’s meet at seven on Friday.
이번 makes it “this Friday”. In the last line, 금요일 gives the day and 일곱 시에 gives the meeting time. The time particle attaches to the clock time at the end of that phrase. 만나요 works as “let’s meet” here because the speakers are agreeing on a plan.
Which Friday Does the Speaker Mean?
이번 금요일 means this Friday, 다음 주 금요일 means Friday next week, and 지난 금요일 means last Friday. The day name itself carries no past or future meaning. These expressions locate the day, while the verb ending tells you what happened or what is planned.
매주 금요일 means every Friday. 금요일마다 also means each or every Friday and attaches 마다 directly to the day name. Use either expression for a repeating class or meeting. A one-time invitation with 이번 금요일 describes a particular occasion rather than a weekly habit.
금요일까지 means “until Friday” or “by Friday”, depending on the action. It can mark the end of an event or a deadline. For a submission, the phrase alone does not give an exact hour. If the closing time matters, look for a clock time alongside the day.
Reading Friday on a Timetable
금 in a calendar column stands for Friday. In a compact date such as 10월 16일(금), the parenthesis supplies the weekday after the month and day. That layout makes the meaning of 금 clear even though the syllable has other meanings outside a schedule.
A notice reading 매주 금요일 휴무 means “closed every Friday”. 휴무 indicates a day off or closure, so recognizing the day name can help you avoid arriving when a business is shut. 불금 belongs in an enthusiastic chat about Friday night; a closure notice uses the neutral day name.
Nearby Days and Planning Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 목요일 | Thursday | The day immediately before Friday. |
| 토요일 | Saturday | The day immediately after Friday. |
| 평일 | weekday | Useful for schedules that group Monday through Friday. |
| 약속 | appointment / plans | The existing example uses it for Friday plans. |
The days of the week lesson gives the full sequence and calendar labels. Learn the neighboring days together so you can follow a change from Friday to Thursday or Saturday.
Quick Self-Test
- How do you specify Friday next week?
- What does 매주 금요일 휴무 tell you?
- Does 금요일까지 specify an exact deadline hour?
Show answers
- 다음 주 금요일.
- The place is closed every Friday.
- No. You need a separate time if the exact hour matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "Friday" in Korean?
Say 금요일 (geumyoil), pronounced geu-myo-il. It is the neutral day name for any setting, from a work email to a chat with friends.
How do you say "on Friday"?
Add the time particle 에 to get 금요일에, as in 금요일에 약속이 있어요 (I have plans on Friday). For Friday night, say 금요일 밤에.
What is 불금?
불금 is casual slang for a lively Friday night out, short for a "fiery Friday". Use it with friends or on social media, not in formal writing.
What is the calendar abbreviation?
Calendars and timetables write 금, the first syllable. On its own, 금 also means gold, so in speech always say the full 금요일.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Days of the week. 금요일 is one entry in that week.
- Index: look up more words near "Friday" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: the word for Friday fits into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in this list, see the page for Saturday.
- Compare with the page for weekend.