Key Facts
- Hangul: 밤; Revised Romanization: bam
- Part of speech: noun
- Senses: night, chestnut
- Origin: Native Korean
- Register: Neutral, everyday native word; the chestnut sense is a homophone.
Night in Korean: What Does 밤 Mean?
밤 is the neutral, everyday word for night, the dark hours after 저녁 (evening). A second word, also spelled 밤, means chestnut. Verbs and particles usually make the meaning clear: 밤에 is at night, while 밤을 먹어요 is eating chestnuts.
Pronunciation
Say bam in a single closed syllable that ends with the lips pressed together for ㅁ. In standard pronunciation, chestnut has a long vowel and night a short one, but most speakers today no longer make this difference, so context does the work.
Example Sentences with 밤
밤에 잠을 자요.
Bame jameul jayo
I sleep at night.
밤에 uses the time particle 에 for "at night". 잠을 자요 means sleep.
밤 열 시에 집에 가요.
Bam yeol sie jibe gayo
I go home at ten at night.
밤 comes before the clock time: 밤 열 시에 means at ten at night. 열 is the native number ten, used for hours.
가을에는 밤을 먹어요.
Gaeureneun bameul meogeoyo
In autumn we eat chestnuts.
Here 가을에는 sets autumn as the topic, and 밤을 먹어요 means the chestnut sense. Roasted chestnuts are an autumn and winter snack.
Phrases That Use 밤
밤늦게 means late at night, 한밤중 is the middle of the night, 밤새 is all night, and 군밤 is the roasted chestnut.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 밤늦게 | late at night |
| 한밤중 | middle of the night |
| 밤새 | all night |
| 군밤 | roasted chestnut |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 좋은 밤 alone as the usual bedtime farewell
Correct: ✓ 안녕히 주무세요 (polite) or ✓ 잘 자요 (friendly)
Why: A bedtime farewell usually wishes someone good sleep. 좋은 밤 보내세요 is also possible when wishing someone a pleasant night. Also remember that 밤 can mean chestnut: 밤을 먹어요 is about food, not time.
밤 Compared with Similar Words
On the clock, 밤 sits between 저녁 and 새벽.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 저녁 | evening | 저녁 is the evening, before 밤, and also means dinner. |
| 새벽 | dawn | 새벽 runs from after midnight until sunrise. |
| 군밤 | roasted chestnut | 군밤 uses the chestnut 밤: a winter street snack. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
밤 is a native Korean word with no hanja, in both the night and the chestnut sense.
Cultural Note
Roasted chestnuts (군밤) are a classic winter street snack in Korea.
Making Plans after Work
Two colleagues are arranging a phone call after getting home. Both use polite everyday speech.
Mina
오늘 밤에 시간 있어요?
Oneul bame sigan isseoyo?
Do you have time tonight?
Jun
네, 밤 아홉 시쯤 괜찮아요.
Ne, bam ahop sijjeum gwaenchanayo.
Yes, around nine tonight works.
Mina
그럼 밤 아홉 시에 전화할게요.
Geureom bam ahop sie jeonhwahalgeyo.
Then I’ll call at nine tonight.
Jun
네, 기다릴게요.
Ne, gidarilgeyo.
Okay, I’ll wait for your call.
오늘 밤 is tonight, with a space between the two words. 쯤 makes the proposed time approximate; the next speaker repeats the time without 쯤 to settle the arrangement. 기다릴게요 responds with a promise to wait for the call, so the reply confirms the plan rather than introducing a new time.
How Do You Talk about Tonight and Last Night?
오늘 밤 means tonight and 어젯밤 means last night. The spelling differs: 오늘 밤 is two words, while 어젯밤 is one. 내일 밤, tomorrow night, also has a space. These expressions place a particular night on the calendar, while plain 밤 can describe a routine, as in the sleeping example above.
밤에 means at night; 밤마다 means every night. The first can describe either one occasion or a general habit, depending on the verb and surrounding sentence. The second explicitly repeats the event night after night. 밤까지 means until night, so it marks an endpoint rather than the time when something begins.
Where Will You Hear 밤 and Its Set Phrases?
Weather forecasts use 밤 to separate nighttime conditions from daytime conditions. A television schedule or a meeting arrangement may put 밤 before an hour to remove doubt about a twelve-hour clock. After midnight, 새벽 is the usual label for the small hours; 새벽 두 시 refers to two in the morning.
밤을 새우다 means to stay up all night. It describes going without sleep, perhaps to finish work or study. 밤새, ‘all night’, describes a duration and does not itself say that someone stayed awake. Rain can continue all night, and a person can sleep all night too.
밤낮 literally joins ‘night’ and ‘day’. In a phrase such as 밤낮으로, it means day and night, often suggesting something continues constantly. 밤낮이 바뀌다 describes a reversed sleep schedule: someone sleeps by day and stays awake at night. These combinations use the time meaning of 밤, with no connection to chestnuts.
Words for the Hours around 밤
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 낮 | daytime | The daylight counterpart of 밤. |
| 자정 | midnight | An exact boundary, rather than the whole night. |
| 새벽 | pre-dawn hours | Useful for times after midnight and before sunrise. |
| 어젯밤 | last night | Refers to the night before today. |
The time expressions lesson puts these words into a wider set. 저녁 and 밤 have flexible boundaries in ordinary conversation; a clock time makes an arrangement more precise than either label alone.
Quick Self-Test
- How do you write ‘tonight’ and ‘last night’?
- Does 밤새 by itself mean that someone stayed awake?
- Which expression normally labels two in the morning?
Show answers
- 오늘 밤 is tonight; 어젯밤 is last night.
- No. It means all night; 밤을 새우다 specifically means to stay up all night.
- 새벽 두 시, using 새벽 for the small hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is night in Korean?
Night is 밤 (bam). Add 에 for at night: 밤에 잠을 자요 means I sleep at night.
What is the other meaning of 밤?
밤 also means chestnut. It is a separate word spelled the same way; 군밤, roasted chestnuts, is a popular winter street snack.
How do you say good night?
Say 안녕히 주무세요 to someone older or in polite speech, and 잘 자요 to a friend. 좋은 밤 alone is not the usual bedtime farewell; 좋은 밤 보내세요 means have a good night.
What is late at night?
Late at night is 밤늦게, written as one word. 한밤중 is the middle of the night, and 밤새 means all night long.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: time expressions groups 밤 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: the vocabulary flashcard decks take this word.
- Next in the list: now.
- Compare: evening.
- Compare: dawn.