American Learns Korean Day28: Practical Numbers, Time & Dates Review (Beginner Practice)

What Day28 Must Fix: The 3 Real-Life Moments Beginners Freeze

American Learns Korean Day28 is not about “knowing rules.” It’s about removing hesitation in situations that happen every day:

Ordering at a café/restaurant: quantity + price
Making plans: what time (hour + minute)
Scheduling: what date + what day of the week

If you can say these smoothly, Month 2 grammar becomes much easier because you stop wasting brainpower just to produce basic numbers.

Korean Has Two Number Systems: A Simple Decision Rule

The confusion is normal: Korean uses two number systems. The fastest way through is a decision rule you can apply instantly.

Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼…): dates, minutes/seconds, money, formal counting (basic)
Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…): counting items/people, and the “hour” in time (1–12시)

In American Learns Korean Day28, your goal is to make this choice automatic.

Cheat Sheet 1: Sino-Korean Numbers (Dates, Minutes, Money)

Sino-Korean numbers are common with units like 월/일, 분/초, 원.

1 일, 2 이, 3 삼, 4 사, 5 오
6 육, 7 칠, 8 팔, 9 구, 10 십
11 십일, 12 십이, 20 이십, 30 삼십

Daily-use examples

It starts in 10 minutes. → 십 분 후에 시작해요.
It’s 5,000 won. → 오천 원이에요.
Today is January 7. → 1월 7일이에요.
I leave in 2026. → 2026년에 출발해요.

Date format is fixed

(number) + 월 + (number) + 일
Examples: 1월 7일, 12월 25일, 2026년 1월 7일

Cheat Sheet 2: Native Korean Numbers (Counting + Hours)

Native Korean numbers are used for counting and (most importantly at beginner level) hours.

1 하나, 2 둘, 3 셋, 4 넷, 5 다섯
6 여섯, 7 일곱, 8 여덟, 9 아홉, 10 열

The Key Beginner Trap: 1–4 Change Shape (한/두/세/네)

When counting, you usually say:

하나 → 한 (한 개)
둘 → 두 (두 명)
셋 → 세 (세 시 / 세 잔)
넷 → 네 (네 개 / 네 잔)

Examples

One bottle, please. → 물 한 병 주세요.
Two people. → 사람 두 명이에요.
Three cups of coffee. → 커피 세 잔 주세요.
It’s four o’clock. → 지금 네 시예요.

This is a major focus in American Learns Korean Day28 because it’s where “beginner Korean” becomes obvious if you miss it.

The Core Formula: Time = Native “Hour” + Sino “Minute”

Time is mixed—this is why beginners hesitate. Use this structure:

(Native) 시 + (Sino) 분

Examples:

2:15 → 두 시 십오 분
3:30 → 세 시 삼십 분
11:05 → 열한 시 오 분
1:45 → 한 시 사십오 분

If you lock this pattern in, your planning conversations become dramatically smoother—exactly the point of American Learns Korean Day28.

Days of the Week + Dates: The Natural Spoken Frame

Days of the week:

월요일 / 화요일 / 수요일 / 목요일 / 금요일 / 토요일 / 일요일

A clean beginner-friendly speaking frame:

Month + day (required)
Day of week (optional but recommended)
Finish with 이에요/예요, or add a location/time phrase

Examples:

Today is Wednesday, Jan 7. → 1월 7일 수요일이에요.
I depart on Feb 3. → 2월 3일에 출발해요.
Let’s meet next Friday. → 다음 주 금요일에 만나요.
The exam is Tuesday, March 10. → 3월 10일 화요일에 시험이 있어요.

5 Common Mistakes (And the Quick Fix)

Using Sino numbers for hours
- At beginner level, stick to 한 시, 두 시, 세 시.
Trying to use Native numbers for minutes
- Minutes are safer as Sino numbers: 십오 분, 삼십 분, 사십오 분.
Forgetting 한/두/세/네
- “하나 개” sounds unnatural. Use 한 개.
Dropping 일 in dates
- Say the full form: 1월 7일 (not “1월 7”).
네 (four) vs 내 (my) confusion
- Fix it with sentence chunks:
  - 사람 네 명이에요. / 커피 네 잔 주세요.

These are the exact hesitation points American Learns Korean Day28 is designed to eliminate.

1-Minute Speaking Script: Making an Appointment (Copy and Swap Numbers)

A: Are you free tomorrow?
B: Yes. What time should we meet?
A: How about 3:30? → 세 시 삼십 분 어때요?
B: Sounds good. Where should we meet?
A: Let’s meet at the café. → 카페에서 만나요.
B: Great. See you tomorrow, Thursday, Jan 8, at 3:30.
→ 그럼 내일 1월 8일 목요일, 세 시 삼십 분에 봐요.

Do not chase perfect pronunciation first. Your priority is no stopping—that’s how speed builds.

Drill 1 (3 Minutes): Time Automation (Hour + Minute)

Read these out loud. Each line, 20–30 seconds:

지금 두 시 십 분이에요.
세 시 삼십 분에 만나요.
열한 시 오 분에 출발해요.
한 시 사십오 분에 도착해요.
아홉 시 이십 분에 시작해요.
다섯 시 오십 분에 끝나요.

Tip: Keep the hour stable first, then swap only the minutes.

Drill 2 (2 Minutes): Dates + Days of the Week

오늘은 1월 7일 수요일이에요.
제 생일은 5월 12일이에요.
여행은 8월 3일 월요일에 시작해요.
회의는 2월 20일 금요일이에요.

Drill 3 (2 Minutes): Counting (한/두/세/네) in Real Orders

물 한 병 주세요.
사람 두 명이에요.
커피 세 잔 주세요.
빵 네 개 주세요.
의자 두 개 필요해요.
메뉴 세 개 추천해 주세요.

Do not memorize “words.” Memorize complete sentences. This is the fastest method in American Learns Korean Day28.

Mini Test (10 Questions): Score Yourself

Try first, then check answers.

3:20 = ( )
11:05 = ( )
1 item = ( )
4 people = ( )
Feb 3 = ( )
10 minutes = ( )
“Tomorrow at 2:30” in beginner Korean = ( )
“Coffee, two cups please” in beginner Korean = ( )
Say “Today is Wednesday, Jan 7” in Korean word order (check)
Which uses Sino numbers more often at beginner level: 시 or 분? (시/분)

Answer Key

세 시 이십 분
열한 시 오 분
한 개
네 명
2월 3일 (spoken: 이월 삼일)
십 분
내일 두 시 삼십 분에 만나요/이에요 (choose a natural ending)
커피 두 잔 주세요
오늘은 1월 7일 수요일이에요
분

Missed items are not “bad.” They are your exact improvement target—perfect for American Learns Korean Day28 review.

Homework (5 Minutes): Convert to Your Real Schedule

Fill in with your real life:

오늘은 ( )월 ( )일 ( )요일이에요.
내일 ( )시에 일어나요.
( )시 ( )분에 출발해요.
( )분 후에 전화할게요.
커피 ( )잔 주세요.
사람 ( )명이에요.

This “personalization” step makes the patterns stick.

Image Ideas for the Post (Optional)

Image 1: “Native hour + Sino minute” one-page cheat card
Image 2: 한/두/세/네 conversion card with order examples
Image 3: Calendar-style date + weekday examples

If you want, I can design these consistently for American Learns Korean Day28 visuals.

Checklist (If You Finish This, You Win Day28)

I said 10 time sentences using (시 + 분) without stopping
I practiced 한/두/세/네 in full sentences 10 times
I produced 5 date + weekday sentences
I recorded my mini test score
Tomorrow I will review only my weak type for 5 minutes

FAQ

Q1. Why does Korean have two number systems?
A1. There are historical reasons, but at beginner level, the fastest approach is pattern mastery: choose correctly, then speak smoothly.

Q2. Do I always have to use Native numbers for hours?
A2. Mixed usage exists, but for beginners it’s best to lock in the standard: Native for hours, Sino for minutes.

Q3. I freeze whenever I see numbers. What’s the fix?
A3. Stop practicing numbers alone. Practice them inside complete sentences (the drills above). Korean becomes easier when you train chunks.

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