Key Facts
- Hangul: 주말; Revised Romanization: jumal
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 週末 (週 week + 末 end)
- Register: Neutral, standard word.
Weekend in Korean: What Does 주말 Mean?
주말 is a neutral, standard word for Saturday and Sunday together. It comes from 週末, where 週 is week and 末 is end, so it literally means "the end of the week". It is often paired with 이번 for this weekend.
How Do You Pronounce 주말?
Two syllables, ju and mal. When a particle starting with a vowel follows, the ㄹ links across and becomes a light tap, which gives jumare in 주말에.
Example Sentences with 주말
주말에 뭐 해요?
Jumare mwo haeyo
What do you do on weekends?
뭐 해요 asks "what do you do?". Depending on context it asks about weekend habits or about this weekend's plans.
주말에는 쉬어요.
Jumareneun swieoyo
I rest on weekends.
쉬어요 means rest, and the 는 in 주말에는 sets weekends against the work week.
이번 주말에 영화를 봐요.
Ibeon jumare yeonghwareul bwayo
I will watch a movie this weekend.
영화를 봐요 means watch a movie, and 이번 limits the time to the coming weekend.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These phrases cover trips, timing and mornings. Each puts 주말 in front of another noun or adds 마다 for every.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 주말 여행 | weekend trip |
| 이번 주말 | this weekend |
| 주말마다 | every weekend |
| 주말 아침 | weekend morning |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 에서 after 주말 to mean "on the weekend"
Correct: ✓ 주말에 뭐 해요?
Why: a time word takes 에, not 에서, which marks a place where something happens. In relaxed speech Koreans often drop the particle (주말 뭐 해요?), but the full form for "on the weekend" is 주말에.
주말 Compared with Similar Words
Three words divide the week differently.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 평일 | weekday | 평일 is Monday to Friday, the opposite of 주말. |
| 휴일 | holiday/day off | 휴일 is any day off, including public holidays that fall on a weekday. |
| 주중 | during the week | 주중 means during the working days, the part of the week before 주말. |
Inviting a Classmate to a Movie
Two classmates are arranging a cinema visit. A question about the weekend leads to a more precise day.
Mina
이번 주말에 뭐 해요?
Ibeon jumare mwo haeyo?
What are you doing this weekend?
Alex
토요일에는 일해요. 일요일은 괜찮아요.
Toyoireneun ilhaeyo. Iryoireun gwaenchanayo.
I work on Saturday. Sunday works for me.
Mina
그럼 일요일에 같이 영화 볼까요?
Geureom iryoire gachi yeonghwa bolkkayo?
Then shall we watch a movie together on Sunday?
Alex
좋아요. 주말에 봐요.
Joayo. Jumare bwayo.
Sounds good. See you this weekend.
The first line asks about plans, so the present ending 해요 refers to the coming weekend. Alex then separates Saturday from Sunday. 주말 covers both days, but it does not tell you which one a person has free. The invitation settles the day before the closing 주말에 봐요.
Phrases for Plans and Greetings
주말 잘 보내세요 means “Have a good weekend”. 보내다 literally means “send” but also means “spend” a period of time. In this greeting, the speaker wishes you a pleasant weekend. It is natural when leaving work on Friday or ending a message before the weekend.
Afterward, 주말 잘 보냈어요? asks “Did you have a good weekend?” The past ending makes it a question about the weekend that has just finished. You can answer with a short account of a trip, a meal or time at home. The question does not assume that you went anywhere.
주말 여행 is a trip taken over the weekend, and 주말마다 describes something that happens every weekend. The first expression names a kind of trip; the second describes frequency. Someone can take one 주말 여행 without traveling 주말마다.
Where Will You Hear 주말?
At work or in class, 주말 often appears in invitations and Monday conversations. In a message sent before Saturday, 이번 주말 normally points to the approaching weekend. If the conversation is already taking place on Sunday, a specific date or day name helps make the intended weekend clear.
Booking pages may put 주말 beside 평일 to distinguish weekend and weekday prices. That label describes a category, rather than promising a particular price difference. A place can also list public holidays separately. Check the day labels attached to the price or operating hours before using a weekday offer.
Weekend does not automatically mean a day off for the speaker. 주말에 일해요 means “I work on weekends”. Restaurant staff, shop workers and many other people may work then. Asking about someone’s plans leaves room for work as well as leisure.
How Much of the Weekend Do You Mean?
주말에 gives the weekend as the time of an activity. It does not say the activity fills both days. A movie on Sunday afternoon still happens 주말에. 주말 내내 means “throughout the weekend”, so it adds the idea of the whole period.
The word 내내 is useful when describing weather, work or time spent resting. Without it, listeners should not assume an all-weekend activity. Likewise, 주말 아침 names a weekend morning, while 이번 주말 limits the reference to this particular weekend.
Words for a More Specific Weekend Plan
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 토요일 | Saturday | Name this day if Sunday will not work. |
| 일요일 | Sunday | The other day included in 주말. |
| 약속 | appointment / arranged plan | Can refer to a social arrangement with a friend. |
| 내내 | throughout | 주말 내내 extends an activity across the weekend. |
The days of the week lesson helps you replace a broad weekend plan with a named day.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 주말에 영화를 봐요 mean watching movies for both full days?
- Which expression means “every weekend”?
- Which greeting fits before the weekend: 주말 잘 보내세요 or 주말 잘 보냈어요?
Show answers
- No. It places the movie during the weekend.
- 주말마다.
- 주말 잘 보내세요. The other asks about a past weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say weekend in Korean?
Say 주말 (jumal). It is a neutral word for Saturday and Sunday together, built from the hanja 週末, literally the end of the week.
How do I say this weekend?
Say 이번 주말. For every weekend add 마다: 주말마다, and for a weekend trip say 주말 여행.
Is 주말 the same as 휴일?
No. 주말 is always Saturday and Sunday. 휴일 is any day off, so it also covers public holidays that fall on a weekday.
Do I need 에 after 주말?
Use 주말에 for "on the weekend", as in 주말에 뭐 해요? Casual speech often drops the 에, but never replace it with 에서.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the days of the week word list places this word with the day names.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the page for weekday.
- Also compare the page for holiday.
- Next in the list: the page for week.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.