Let’s Meet! Setting a Time in Korean
Introduction
Hello! This is [Maeil Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills! 👋
Are you planning to hang out with your Korean friends this weekend? Today, we are going to learn how to set a time for an appointment. This is a super useful skill for making plans!
Recently in Korea, “Pop-up Stores” in areas like Seongsu-dong and The Hyundai Seoul are incredibly trendy. Because these places are so popular, there are often long waiting lines (we call this “Open Run”!). So, setting the exact right time to meet is more important than ever.
Let’s learn how to set the perfect time so you don’t miss out on the fun! 🚀
Key Expressions
Here are 3 essential expressions to help you fix a time for your weekend plans.
1. 몇 시에 만날까?
- Pronunciation: [Myeot si-e mannal-kka?]
- English Meaning: What time shall we meet?
- Detail: This is a casual way to ask a friend for a time. If you are speaking to someone older or in a formal situation, you would say “몇 시에 만날까요? (Myeot si-e mannal-kkayo?)”.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- ‘몇 시’ is pronounced [myeot-ssi].
- The final consonant ‘ㅊ’ (ch) in ‘몇’ sounds like a ‘t’ (unreleased). When this ‘t’ sound meets the ‘s’ in ‘시’, the ‘s’ becomes a strong, tense sound (like ‘ss’).
- So, instead of saying “myeot-chi,” try saying it sharply like [myeot-ssi]!
2. (Time)은/는 어때?
- Pronunciation: [(Time)-eun/neun eottae?]
- English Meaning: How about (Time)?
- Detail: Use this to suggest a specific time.
- If the time ends in a consonant (like 1:00, 한 시 Han si – no bottom consonant), use 는. -> 한 시는 어때?
- (Note: Wait! Actually, ‘시’ always ends in a vowel! So usually you will use 는 after the word ‘시’.)
- Example: “2시는 어때?” (Du si-neun eottae? – How about 2 o’clock?)
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- ‘어때’ has a double consonant ‘ㄸ’ (tt).
- Unlike the soft ‘t’ in English, you need to build up air pressure behind your tongue and release it sharply without letting air escape (unaspirated). It sounds higher in pitch and stronger than a normal ‘t’. Think of the ‘t’ in the English word “stop”.
3. 좋아 / 괜찮아.
- Pronunciation: [Joa / Gwaenchana]
- English Meaning: Good / It’s okay (I agree).
- Detail: These are the most common ways to accept a suggestion. “좋아” means “I like it” or “Good,” and “괜찮아” means “That’s fine.”
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- ‘좋아’ is pronounced [jo-a].
- ‘괜찮아’ is pronounced [gwaen-cha-na].
- Why? The consonant ‘ㅎ’ (h) is weak. When it is at the bottom of a block and followed by a vowel (like ‘아’), it often becomes silent. So, don’t try to pronounce the ‘h’ sound hard. Just flow into the vowel!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how Min-ji and Jason decide when to meet for the trendy “Pop-up Store” event this weekend.
Min-ji: 이번 주말에 성수동 팝업 스토어 갈래?
(Do you want to go to the Seongsu-dong pop-up store this weekend?)Jason: 좋아! 몇 시에 만날까?
(Good! What time shall we meet?)Min-ji: 사람이 많을 거야. 12시는 어때?
(There will be a lot of people. How about 12 o’clock?)Jason: 음, 12시는 너무 빨라. 1시는 어때?
(Hmm, 12 is too early. How about 1 o’clock?)Min-ji: 그래, 1시 좋아! 그때 보자.
(Okay, 1 o’clock is good! See you then.)
Culture Tip & Trend Analysis: “Open Run” (오픈런)
Did you notice Min-ji wanted to meet early?
In Korea lately, “Open Run” (오픈런) is a huge trend among Gen Z. It refers to waiting in line before a store opens to get limited-edition items or enter popular cafes/pop-up stores.
If your Korean friend suggests meeting very early in the morning for a weekend activity, they might be planning an “Open Run”! In this case, saying “좋아! (Good!)” will make you the best travel buddy ever. Knowing this term will definitely make you sound like a local! 🇰🇷
Wrap-up & Practice
Today we learned how to set a time for an appointment in Korean.
- 몇 시에 만날까? (What time shall we meet?)
- ~는 어때? (How about…?)
- 좋아. (Good.)
📝 Mini Quiz:
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence!
- A: 3시는 어때? (How about 3 o’clock?)
- B: _______! 그때 만나. (Good! Let’s meet then.)
Answer: (____________)
Leave your answer in the comments below! If you have plans this weekend, try using these expressions with your friends. See you in the next post! 👋
