Key Facts
- Hangul: 손목시계; Revised Romanization: sonmoksigye; pronounced [son-mok-ssi-gye]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: mixed: native 손목 (wrist) + Sino-Korean 시계 (時計, time + measure)
- Register: neutral; 손목시계 is explicit, but 시계 alone often means a watch in daily speech
Watch in Korean: What Does 손목시계 Mean?
손목시계 is the explicit word for a watch worn on the wrist. Neutral in tone, it is useful when you need to separate a watch from a wall clock. In everyday speech 시계 alone is often enough, and listeners decide from context.
The partners show the wrist: 손목시계를 차다 is to wear one, and 손목시계를 풀다 is to take it off. Other combinations are 전자 손목시계, a digital watch, and 시곗줄, the strap. A smartwatch is a 스마트워치.
How Do You Pronounce 손목시계?
The spelling is son-mok-si-gye, but the spoken form is [son-mok-ssi-gye]. After the k sound at the end of 목, the ㅅ of 시 tightens into ss. The last syllable 계 can be said gye or, as many speakers do, simplified to ge. Keep the final k of 목 unreleased, so the mouth closes without a puff.
Example Sentences with 손목시계
손목시계를 샀어요.
Sonmoksigyereul sasseoyo.
I bought a wristwatch.
The object particle 를 follows the noun, and 샀어요 is the past of buy. The sentence reports a simple purchase.
이 손목시계는 방수가 돼요.
I sonmoksigyeneun bangsuga dwaeyo.
This watch is waterproof.
방수 is waterproofing, and 돼요 means works or is possible. So 방수가 돼요 says the watch is waterproof.
아버지가 손목시계를 선물해 주셨어요.
Abeojiga sonmoksigyereul seonmulhae jusyeosseoyo.
My father gave me a watch as a gift.
아버지가 uses the subject particle on father. 주셨어요 contains the honorific 시, which shows respect for the father as the giver. 선물해 주셨어요 reads gave me as a gift.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Collocations describe wearing, removing and kinds of watch.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 손목시계를 차다 | to wear a wristwatch |
| 손목시계를 풀다 | to take off a watch |
| 전자 손목시계 | digital watch |
| 시곗줄 | watch strap |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners use the verb for putting on clothes.
Wrong: ✗ 입다 with a watch (손목시계를 입다)
Correct: ✓ 손목시계를 차다
입다 is for clothes worn on the body. A watch is worn around the wrist, which takes 차다. Do not confuse the compound with 시계, which on its own often means a clock.
손목시계 Compared with 시계 and 스마트워치
One neighbour is the general word, and the other is a specific device.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 손목시계 | wristwatch; watch | Explicitly a watch on the wrist. |
| 시계 | clock / watch | The general word; it can mean a wall clock or a watch. |
| 스마트워치 | smartwatch | A watch with smart functions. |
The general word has its own page, clock.
Where Does the Word Come From?
손목시계 is a mixed compound. 손목 is native Korean, meaning wrist, and 시계 comes from the hanja 時計: 時 (time) plus 計 (measure). So the word reads as a wrist time-measurer.
At a Watch Repair Counter
A customer brings a stopped wristwatch to a repair counter. The customer names the object fully, then the conversation shortens it to 시계.
Customer
이 손목시계가 멈췄어요.
I sonmoksigyega meomchwosseoyo.
This wristwatch has stopped.
Repairer
언제부터 그랬어요?
Eonjebuteo geuraesseoyo?
Since when has it been like that?
Customer
어제부터요. 배터리를 바꿔 주세요.
Eojebuteoyo. Baeteorireul bakkwo juseyo.
Since yesterday. Please replace the battery.
Repairer
먼저 시계를 확인해 볼게요.
Meonjeo sigyereul hwaginhae bolgeyo.
I’ll check the watch first.
멈췄어요 reports that the watch has stopped; it does not identify the cause. The customer requests a battery change, while the repairer first offers to inspect it. Once both people know which watch they mean, 시계 is enough. Repeating 손목시계 in every line would sound unnecessarily precise.
What Can You Say about a Watch’s Time?
시계가 빠르다 means a watch or clock runs fast: its displayed time is ahead of the correct time. 시계가 느리다 means it runs slow and is behind. These descriptions concern the time it shows, rather than how quickly you move your wrist.
시간을 맞추다 means “to set the time”. The literal idea is to make the time match. Pair this with the fast/slow descriptions when explaining that a watch needs adjustment. 시계가 멈추다, “the watch stops”, describes a different problem: the hands or display are no longer advancing at all.
Where Will You See 손목시계 Rather than 시계?
Product categories and lost-property descriptions benefit from the full word 손목시계 because it identifies a wearable object. A person reporting a lost item may then describe the strap, colour or brand. At a shop counter, pointing to your wrist or handing over the watch makes the shorter 시계 clear.
In a drama, someone may look at a watch and ask about the time without saying 손목시계 at all. The gesture supplies the object. For the English action “watch television”, Korean uses a verb such as 보다; 손목시계 only names the object you wear.
Words for Describing or Repairing a Watch
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 손목 | wrist | The body part named in 손목시계. |
| 시곗줄 | watch strap | Useful when asking for a replacement strap. |
| 배터리 | battery | Names a power source used by many watches. |
| 수리 | repair | Broader than changing a battery. |
The clothing and accessories vocabulary lesson places watches alongside other things you wear. Remember the verb 차다 with a watch; learning only the accessory noun leaves out the action you need in conversation.
손목시계를 풀다 describes undoing or removing the watch from your wrist. It does not mean taking the mechanism apart. A strap can be loose or tight while the watch itself works normally, so a repair conversation becomes clearer when you name 시곗줄 for the strap and 시계 for the timepiece.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb fits wearing a wristwatch: 차다 or 입다?
- What does 시계가 빠르다 tell you about the displayed time?
- What is 시곗줄?
Show answers
- 차다.
- It is ahead of the correct time; the watch runs fast.
- The watch strap.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say watch in Korean?
Say 손목시계 (sonmoksigye) for a wristwatch. In daily speech 시계 alone often means a watch.
Which verb do I use to wear a watch?
Use 차다. The phrase 손목시계를 차다 means to wear a wristwatch.
How do you say a watch is waterproof?
Say 방수가 돼요, as in 이 손목시계는 방수가 돼요.
What is the difference between 손목시계 and 시계?
시계 is the general word and can mean a wall clock. 손목시계 specifies a watch on the wrist.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: clothing vocabulary adds 손목시계 to the accessories and clothes.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: Add 손목시계 to your review in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for umbrella.