Korean Self-Study Lesson 7

Welcome to Lesson 7! In this lesson, we will learn how to read and express specific times and days of the week (요일), and practice describing past events or routines using past tense verb conjugations (-았/었/였습니다).

1. Learning Objectives

1. Time & Days Expression: Read hours (using Native Korean numbers) and minutes (using Sino-Korean numbers) smoothly, alongside days of the week.
2. Past Tense Narratives: Form correct formal declarations and questions regarding completed behaviors or past states.

2. Core Lesson Narrative & Dialogue

Practice reading the routine passage below to see how time tracking particles and past tense endings function in contextual sentences:

Korean Text	English Translation
마이클은 아침 6시에 일어났습니다. (Maikeureun achim yeoseot-sie ireonat-seumnida.)	Michael woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning.
그리고 운동장에서 축구를 했습니다. (Geurigo undongjang-eseo chukkureul haet-seumnida.)	And he played soccer on the sports field.
마이클은 아침을 먹고 9시 30분에 학교에 갔습니다. (Maikeureun achimeul meokgo a-hop-si samsip-bune hakkyo-e gat-seumnida.)	Michael ate breakfast and went to school at 9:30.
오전 10시부터 오후 3시까지 한국어를 공부했습니다. (Ojeon yeol-sibuteo ohu se-sikkaji hangugeoreul gongbuhaet-seumnida.)	He studied Korean from 10 AM to 3 PM.
그리고 오후 4시에 친구를 만났습니다. (Geurigo ohu ne-sie chingureul mannat-seumnida.)	And he met a friend at 4 PM.
친구와 함께 식당에 갔습니다. 한국 식당에서 저녁을 먹었습니다. (Chinguwa hamkke sikdang-e gat-seumnida. Hanguk sikdang-eseo jeonyeokeul meokeot-seumnida.)	He went to a restaurant with his friend. They ate dinner at a Korean restaurant.
음식이 맛있었습니다. (Eumsigi masiseot-seumnida.)	The food was delicious.

3. Vocabulary Expansion

Telling Time & Days

• 한 시 / 두 시 / 세 시: 1 o’clock / 2 o’clock / 3 o’clock (Hours use Native Korean numbers)
• 오 분 / 십 분 / 삼십 분 (반): 5 minutes / 10 minutes / 30 minutes (half) (Minutes use Sino-Korean numbers)
• 오전 / 오후: AM / PM
• 월요일 / 화요일 / 수요일 / 목요일 / 금요일 / 토요일 / 일요일: Days of the week

4. Grammar Points & Explanations

1) Noun + 에 (At / On a certain time)

Attached directly to time nouns to indicate when a specific event or action takes place.

• 아침 6시에 일어났습니다. → Woke up at 6 AM.
• 월요일에 시험이 있습니다. → There is an exam on Monday.

2) Noun + 부터 ~ Noun + 까지 (From… To…)

Used to express the starting point and ending point of a specific duration in time schedules.

• 10시부터 12시까지 책을 읽습니다. → I read a book from 10 to 12.

3) Verb/Adjective + -았/었/였- (Formal Past Tense Suffix)

Conjugates based on the last vowel of the root verb or adjective stem:

• -았습니다: Used when the last vowel of the verb stem is 아 or 오 (e.g., 만나다 → 만났습니다, 오다 → 왔습니다).
• -었습니다: Used when the last vowel is not 아 or 오 (e.g., 먹다 → 먹었습니다, 배우다 → 배웠습니다).
• -였습니다 (했습니다): Used specifically for 하다 verbs (e.g., 공부하다 → 공부했습니다).

📥 [Free Subscriber Download] Korean Study Guide Lesson 7 Worksheet

Print out this beautiful academic blue worksheet to complete your exercises offline! Below is a preview of your task sheet:

Exercise 1: Complete with 에 (At), 부터 (From), or 까지 (To)

1. 유강은 밤 12시_______ 잠을 잡니다. (Yugang goes to sleep at 12 midnight.)
2. 민수는 오후 3시_______ 5시_______ 축구를 했습니다. (Minsu played soccer from 3 PM to 5 PM.)
3. 나오미는 어제 저녁_______ 영화를 봤습니다. (Naomi watched a movie yesterday evening.)

Exercise 2: Past Tense Conjugation Matrix

Convert the base infinitive roots into formal past statements and questions:

Verb Base	Past Statement (-았습니다/었습니다)	Past Question (-았습니까/었습니까?)
살다 (To live)	살았습니다	살았습니까?
만나다 (To meet)	___________________________	___________________________
읽다 (To read)	___________________________	___________________________