Key Facts
- Hangul: 주; Revised Romanization: ju
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 週 (week)
- Register: Neutral, standard word; mostly used in compounds and with number words.
Week in Korean: What Does 주 Mean?
주 is a standard, neutral word, but it is mostly used inside compounds and with number words, not on its own. The hanja is 週, which means week. A single syllable, it names the week as a calendar block: this one, the next one, the last one.
How Do You Pronounce 주?
One syllable, said "ju", with a j like the one in "jump" and a clear u. Because it is so short, it is easy to hear it as part of the word before it.
Example Sentences with 주
이번 주에 바빠요.
Ibeon jue bappayo
I am busy this week.
이번 주 means this week, and 바빠요 means busy. Note the space between the words.
한 주 동안 여행했어요.
Han ju dongan yeohaenghaesseoyo
I traveled for a week.
한 주 동안 means for one week, and 여행했어요 means traveled, so the example shows a length of time.
다음 주에 만나요.
Daeum jue mannayo
Let's meet next week.
다음 주에 means next week, and 만나요 is a suggestion, the pattern behind many plans.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The list shows the week-based time words. Watch the spacing: 지난주 and 매주 are single words.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 이번 주 | this week |
| 다음 주 | next week |
| 지난주 | last week |
| 매주 | every week |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 주 동안 여행했어요. (bare 주 for "a week")
Correct: ✓ 일주일 동안 여행했어요. or ✓ 한 주 동안 여행했어요.
Why: 주 needs something in front of it: a number (2주), 한, 이번, 다음 and so on. For a week as a length of time, 일주일 is the usual word. Spacing also differs: 지난주 is one word, while 이번 주 and 다음 주 take a space.
주 Compared with Similar Words
Three words around 주 are easy to mix up.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 일주일 | one week (duration) | 일주일 is the usual word for a week as a length of time. |
| 주말 | weekend | 주말 is only the end of the week, Saturday and Sunday. |
| 요일 | day of the week | 요일 is one day of the week, the ending of every day name. |
Making Plans around a Busy Week
Two classmates want to practice Korean together. One cannot meet this week, so they move the plan to next week.
Mina
이번 주에 시간 있어요?
Ibeon jue sigan isseoyo?
Do you have time this week?
Alex
이번 주는 바빠요. 다음 주는 어때요?
Ibeon juneun bappayo. Daeum juneun eottaeyo?
I’m busy this week. How about next week?
Mina
좋아요. 다음 주에 만나요.
Joayo. Daeum jue mannayo.
Sounds good. Let’s meet next week.
Alex
네, 다음 주 월요일에 만나요.
Ne, daeum ju woryoire mannayo.
Okay, let’s meet next Monday.
이번 주에 asks when someone has time. 이번 주는 makes this week the topic and sets it against 다음 주. The final answer narrows a whole week down to Monday. Keep that order when building a longer time expression: 다음 주, then 월요일, then 에.
Calendar Weeks, Elapsed Weeks and Weekly Frequency
이번 주 points to the calendar week containing today. 일주일 describes a length of seven days. A trip lasting 일주일 can start on a Thursday and finish the following Thursday; it does not need to fit inside one calendar week. That difference matters when someone asks about a deadline or a stay.
주 also appears after Sino-Korean numbers. You may see 2주 on a course schedule or delivery notice; read it as 이 주, two weeks. For an elapsed period, 동안 means “for” or “during”. For a future point, 후 means “after” or “later”: 2주 후 means two weeks later. The number is the same, but the word after it tells you whether it is a duration or a point in time.
For frequency, 주 2회 means twice a week. 회 counts occurrences, so a swimming-class notice with this phrase promises two sessions each week. It does not mean a course lasts two weeks. 매주 answers “how often?” on its own, while 주 2회 also tells you how many times within that week.
Where Will You See 주?
School timetables, work calendars and appointment messages use 주 to group dates. 이번 주 일정 means “this week’s schedule”; 다음 주 월요일 means “next Monday”. 일정 names the schedule, while 월요일 names a day inside it. Neither phrase specifies a clock time, so a meeting still needs an hour if that has not been agreed.
주말 belongs to the same week family, but it picks out the weekend. A promise to meet 다음 주 is broader than a promise to meet 다음 주말. If you are arranging tickets, check the actual date as well: a relative expression such as “next week” depends on when the message was sent.
주 is neutral in a text to a friend or an email to a coworker. The surrounding sentence carries the politeness. The dialogue keeps 만나요 because the classmates are speaking politely; the time expression 다음 주 stays unchanged.
Useful Words around a Week
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 일정 | schedule | Names the plans attached to a particular week. |
| 월요일 | Monday | Add it after 다음 주 to specify the day. |
| 동안 | for / during | Follows a duration such as 한 주. |
| 매주 | every week | Describes a repeated weekly routine. |
The days of the week lesson gives the day names to use after 이번 주 or 다음 주.
Quick Self-Test
- Which describes seven days of elapsed time: 이번 주 or 일주일?
- What does 주 2회 tell you about a class?
- How is “next Monday” built from 다음 주 and 월요일?
Show answers
- 일주일. 이번 주 identifies the current calendar week.
- It meets twice a week.
- 다음 주 월요일, with spaces between all three words.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say week in Korean?
The word is 주 (ju), but it rarely stands alone. Say 이번 주 for this week, 다음 주 for next week and 지난주 for last week.
How do I say a week as a duration?
Say 일주일, one week, as in 일주일 동안 여행했어요 (I traveled for a week). 한 주 also works; bare 주 does not.
Does 이번 주 take a space?
Yes. 이번 주 and 다음 주 are written with a space, while 지난주 is one word. This follows standard Korean spacing rules.
How do I say every week?
Say 매주, written as one word. It works on its own, as in 매주 만나요 for a weekly meeting.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the days of the week word list groups the week words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the page for weekend.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.