Days of the Week in Korean

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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.

Days of the Week in Korean

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".

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