Key Facts
- 토요일 (toyoil) means Saturday.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: Sino-Korean.
- Register: neutral, standard day name; calendars abbreviate it to 토.
- Hanja: 土曜日 (土 earth + 曜 weekday + 日 day).
- Level: A1.
Saturday in Korean: What Does 토요일 Mean?
토요일 is a Sino-Korean noun built from three hanja: 土 earth, 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. Saturday belongs to Saturn, the earth planet. The native word for soil, 흙, means the same as 土 but never appears in the day name. 토요일 is the standard neutral day name, and printed calendars shorten it to 토.
How Do You Pronounce 토요일?
Start with ㅌ, which is aspirated: a t with a clear puff of air. The usual slip is a soft d-like sound, which belongs to ㄷ. Keep the puff and say to-yo-il.
How Do You Use 토요일 in a Sentence?
토요일에 쉬어요.
I rest on Saturday.
Toyoire swieoyo. 쉬어요 means rest. The particle after 토요일 marks the day when something happens.
토요일에는 보통 늦게 일어나요.
I usually get up late on Saturdays.
Toyoireneun botong neutge ireonayo. 보통 means usually and 늦게 means late, so this sentence is about a habit. The topic particle after the day gives it a contrast: on Saturdays, as opposed to other days.
토요일 오후에 영화를 봐요.
I watch a movie on Saturday afternoon.
Toyoil ohue yeonghwareul bwayo. 오후 is afternoon and 영화를 봐요 is watch a movie. Putting the day before the time of day gives the order from large to small.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 토요일 아침 | Saturday morning |
| 이번 토요일 | this Saturday |
| 토요일마다 | every Saturday |
| 토요일 저녁 | Saturday evening |
토요일 아침 and 토요일 저녁 narrow the day to morning or evening. 이번 토요일 is this coming Saturday. 토요일마다 means every Saturday, with 마다 attached to the day.
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ do-yo-il, with a soft d-like start (the sound of ㄷ)
Correct: ✓ to-yo-il, starting with aspirated ㅌ
Why: ㅌ is released with a strong puff of air. Hold a hand in front of your mouth: you should feel the air on to.
How Does 토요일 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 토요일 |
|---|---|---|
| 주말 | weekend | 주말 is the weekend, Saturday and Sunday together. Use 토요일 for the single day. |
| 일요일 | Sunday | 일요일 is Sunday, the other weekend day. |
| 흙 | soil | 흙 is the native word for soil. It matches the 土 in the day name but is a separate word. |
Making Plans for Saturday Afternoon
Two classmates want to meet outside class. They agree on both the day and the time, so the plan is more precise than “this weekend”.
Jisu
이번 토요일에 시간 있어요?
Ibeon toyoire sigan isseoyo?
Do you have time this Saturday?
Alex
네. 오후에는 괜찮아요.
Ne. Ohueneun gwaenchanayo.
Yes. The afternoon works for me.
Jisu
그럼 토요일 오후 두 시에 만나요.
Geureom toyoil ohu du sie mannayo.
Then let us meet at two on Saturday afternoon.
Alex
좋아요. 토요일에 봐요.
Joayo. Toyoire bwayo.
Sounds good. See you on Saturday.
시간 있어요? asks whether someone is free, rather than asking them to tell the time. The longer phrase 토요일 오후 두 시에 puts the day first, then afternoon, then the hour. The final 에 belongs at the end of that time phrase. 토요일에 봐요 is a natural closing once both people know the plan.
Which Expressions Make the Saturday More Specific?
이번 주 토요일 means “Saturday this week”, and 다음 주 토요일 means “Saturday next week”. These longer expressions help when people are discussing plans across two weeks. If a date matters, add or confirm the calendar date as well, especially when a conversation happens near the end of a week.
매주 토요일 means “every Saturday”. Like 토요일마다, it describes a repeated weekly event. 토요일에 can refer to one Saturday or to a routine, depending on the rest of the sentence; 매주 makes the repetition explicit. A class schedule using 매주 토요일 is announcing a weekly class rather than a single meeting.
토요일까지 means “until Saturday” or “by Saturday”. The exact meaning comes from the activity: a shop promotion may continue until then, while an assignment may be due by then. 토요일부터 means “from Saturday”. Spotting 까지 and 부터 prevents you from confusing the beginning and end of a time period.
Where Will You See 토요일 or 토?
A shop's opening-hours notice may list 토요일 separately from 평일, meaning weekdays, and 일요일, Sunday. Check the Saturday line when planning a visit. A business may have shorter hours that day, and the word 토요일 alone says nothing about whether it is open.
In a compact timetable, 월–금 means Monday through Friday, while 토 marks Saturday. If a timetable gives 토 and 일 separate columns, each column belongs to one day. A heading 주말 may group the weekend together instead. Read the heading before carrying a Saturday departure time over to Sunday.
토요일 is neutral in both an invitation to a friend and a formal schedule. Politeness comes from the sentence ending. The dialogue uses 만나요 and 봐요, which are friendly polite suggestions in this context. The day name does not change when the speaker addresses a teacher or a customer.
Words for Checking a Weekly Schedule
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 금요일 | Friday | The day immediately before Saturday. |
| 일요일 | Sunday | The day immediately after Saturday. |
| 평일 | weekday | Often contrasts with weekend opening hours. |
| 주말 | weekend | Broader than the single day 토요일. |
The days of the week lesson teaches the complete sequence. For an appointment, naming 토요일 and a time is clearer than 주말 alone, since a weekend plan might otherwise fall on either day.
Quick Self-Test
- Which means every Saturday: 매주 토요일 or 다음 주 토요일?
- Where does 에 go in “at two on Saturday afternoon”?
- What does 토 mark on a compact timetable?
Show answers
- 매주 토요일.
- At the end of the time phrase: 토요일 오후 두 시에.
- Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does 토요일 Mean Literally?
The hanja 土曜日 means earth plus weekday plus day. The seven Korean day names follow the sun, the moon and five planets, and Saturday belongs to Saturn, the earth planet.
What Is the Short Form on a Calendar?
Calendars and timetables write 토, the first syllable. In speech, always say the full 토요일, and 토요일에 for "on Saturday".
How Do I Say 'Every Saturday'?
Say 토요일마다. The ending 마다 means every, so 토요일마다 쉬어요 means I rest every Saturday.
Why Does 토 Sound Unlike 'Do'?
토 begins with ㅌ, an aspirated t released with a puff of air. A soft d-like sound belongs to a different letter, ㄷ, so keep the breath strong.
Where to Go Next
토요일 is in the days of the week vocabulary list. Read the Sunday word next, and compare it with the weekend word. The full index is Korean words A to Z.