Korean

Days of the Week in Korean

All days of the week in Korean ends with 요일 (yo-il), where 일 (il) means "day". Naming of the days are derived from the Five Elements in East Asian traditions.

Published by Ryan from LingoNomad

Featured article photo: The Lotte World Tower in Seoul, Korea by Pixabay (CC0 Licensed)

월요일 (Wol-yo-il) → Monday

Wol-yo-il (월요일) has a literal meaning of "Moon Day". It means "Monday" and parallels the origin of the word Monday in English, which comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "Mondandaeg", also meaning "The Moon's Day".

화요일 (Hwa-yo-il) → Tuesday

Days from Tuesday to Saturday in Korean are named after the five elements in East Asian traditions, starting from fire, water, wood, gold, and earth. Hwa-yo-il (화요일) in Korean means "Fire Day" and it refers to "Tuesday".

수요일 (Su-yo-il) → Wednesday

Su-yo-il (수요일) literally means "Water Day". It refers to "Wednesday".

목요일 (Mok-yo-il) → Thursday

Mok-yo-il (목요일) is "Wood Day", and it means "Thursday".

금요일 (Geum-yo-il) → Friday

Geum-yo-il (금요일) is "Gold Day". It means "Friday".

토요일 (To-yo-il) → Saturday

To-yo-il (토요일) means "Earth Day". It refers to "Saturday".

일요일 (Il-yo-il) → Sunday

Il-yo-il (월요일) literally means "Sun Day". It has a directly observable parallel to the origin of the word Sunday in English, which is influenced by Hellenistic astrology where Sunday is "The Day of the Sun".

Learn Also

Months of the Year in Korean

Want More Practice in Korean?

Basic Korean (Grammar Workbook) by Professor Andrew Sangpil Byon (변상필) is a useful workbook that you can use to practice your skills in basic Korean grammar points such as forming present and past tense sentences.
Check out KoreanClass101.com, a website where you can learn Korean guided by native speakers through audio lessons. You can start learning anywhere from Beginner, Upper Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels to practice on listening, vocabulary lists, and grammar pointers to fast track your goal in becoming a pro in Korean!
Talk To Me In Korean Level 1 is a useful self-study book designed for absolute beginners to embark on their self-study journey in learning Korean.