Key Facts
- Word: 시간 (sigan), noun, sino-korean origin
- Register: Neutral, everyday word.
- Hanja: 時間 (時 time + 間 interval)
- Senses: time; hour (duration)
Time in Korean: What Does 시간 Mean?
시간 means time, and also hours as a duration. The register is neutral. Everyday patterns include 시간이 있다 and 시간이 없다, 시간이 걸리다 for taking time, 시간을 내다 for making time, and 두 시간 for two hours.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say two even syllables, si-gan. The ㄱ between two vowels is voiced, so it sounds closer to a soft g than a k. Before a vowel the final ㄴ carries over: 시간이 sounds like si-ga-ni.
Example Sentences with 시간
지금 시간 있어요?
Jigeum sigan isseoyo
Do you have time now?
지금 means now, and 시간 있어요? asks whether someone is free. The subject particle 이 is dropped, as it often is in spoken questions.
한국어 공부는 두 시간 해요.
Hangugeo gongbuneun du sigan haeyo
I study Korean for two hours.
두 시간 means two hours. When 시간 follows a number it counts hours, and the number is native Korean: 두, not the Sino-Korean 이.
시간이 없어서 빨리 가요.
Sigani eopseoseo ppalli gayo
I'm short on time, so I'm going quickly.
A reason sentence. 없어서 means 'because there is none', and 빨리 means 'quickly'.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 시간이 있다/없다 | to have/not have time |
| 시간이 걸리다 | to take time |
| 시간을 내다 | to make time |
| 두 시간 | two hours |
The collocations show three verbs that pair with 시간: 있다 or 없다 for having it, 걸리다 for how long something takes, and 내다 for making it available. The phrase 두 시간 shows the duration use, with the number placed first.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mix up 시 and 시간 when talking about hours.
Wrong: 세 시 to mean "three hours". 세 시 is three o'clock.
Correct: 세 시간 for three hours. Use 시 to say what time it is and 시간 to say how long something lasts.
시간 Compared with Similar Words
Time words split into clock points and general time.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 시 | o'clock | a point in time on the clock |
| 때 | time, when | a general 'time/when' |
| 시각 | point in time (formal) | exact time on the clock |
Where Does the Word Come From?
시간 is Sino-Korean, written 時間 in hanja: 時 means time and 間 means interval, so the word is literally a stretch of time.
At the Station: How Long Is the Journey?
A traveller asks a station employee about the trip to Busan. The conversation separates the journey’s duration from the departure time. Both speakers use polite endings.
Traveller
부산까지 시간이 얼마나 걸려요?
Busankkaji sigani eolmana geollyeoyo?
How long does it take to get to Busan?
Employee
두 시간 걸려요.
Du sigan geollyeoyo.
It takes two hours.
Traveller
기차는 몇 시에 출발해요?
Gichaneun myeot sie chulbalhaeyo?
What time does the train leave?
Employee
세 시에 출발해요.
Se sie chulbalhaeyo.
It leaves at three o’clock.
얼마나 asks “how much” or “how long”; with 시간이 걸리다, it asks for a duration. 몇 시 asks for a clock reading. The employee answers with 두 시간 for the length of the trip and 세 시 for the departure. In an actual timetable, check the departure time separately from the travel time.
Where Will You See 시간?
Opening-hours notices use 영업시간, literally “business hours”. A restaurant’s 영업시간 tells you when it operates. A school 시간표 is a timetable: 표 means a chart or table, so the whole word names a schedule of lessons. These compounds turn the general idea of time into specific information you can look for on a door or noticeboard.
In conversation, 시간 있어요? usually asks about availability. It can lead to an invitation or a request for help. To ask someone to read the clock, use 몇 시예요? instead. The English question “Do you have the time?” can hide this difference; Korean makes the purpose clearer through the wording.
On a recipe or instruction sheet, one hour is 한 시간. Shorter durations often use 분, “minute”, with Sino-Korean numbers. Compare 한 시간 with 삼십 분, “thirty minutes”. Changing the unit also changes the number system, so learn the amount and unit together.
What Do 시간 Phrases Imply?
시간을 내다 literally suggests bringing time out; its everyday meaning is to make time for something despite other demands. It acknowledges effort. 시간이 있다 simply says that time is available. Someone may have free time without having rearranged anything, so the two phrases highlight different circumstances.
시간을 보내다 means “to spend time”. The object marker 을 makes 시간 the thing being spent. It can describe an afternoon with friends or time spent alone. 시간을 낭비하다 means “to waste time” and adds a negative judgement: the speaker thinks the time could have been used better.
시간이 없다 can be a practical explanation or a gentle refusal. The phrase itself does not tell you which. If someone declines an invitation because they have no time, a different day may be possible; avoid assuming that it describes their whole week.
Related Time Units and Schedule Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 분 | minute | Uses Sino-Korean numbers for durations. |
| 초 | second | Measures a shorter interval than 분. |
| 시간표 | timetable | A chart of scheduled activities or classes. |
| 영업시간 | business hours | The period when a shop or business operates. |
The time expressions lesson puts 시간 beside other time units and calendar words. Use the unit to decide whether the number describes a duration, then check whether the sentence instead asks for a point on the clock.
Quick Self-Test
- A journey lasts three hours. Do you need 세 시 or 세 시간?
- What information does 몇 시에 출발해요? ask for?
- Which phrase suggests making room in a busy schedule: 시간이 있다 or 시간을 내다?
Show answers
- 세 시간. 시간 measures the duration.
- The departure time, rather than the length of the journey.
- 시간을 내다 means to make time; 시간이 있다 means to have time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'time' in Korean?
The everyday word is 시간 (sigan). It covers time in general, as in 지금 시간 있어요? (Do you have time now?), and hours as a duration, as in 두 시간 (two hours).
How do I say 'I have no time'?
Use 시간이 없다, literally "time does not exist". In conversation 없다 takes a polite ending; the third example above uses its reason form, 시간이 없어서 (because I have no time).
What is the difference between 시 and 시간?
시 marks a point on the clock and 시간 measures a length of time. 세 시 is three o'clock, while 세 시간 is three hours. Both take native Korean numbers.
How do I say 'it takes time'?
Use 시간이 걸리다, where 걸리다 means "to take" for time. To give the length, put the amount in front of 걸리다 instead, for example 두 시간 for two hours.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Time expression words groups 시간 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for day: day.