How to Type Korean on a Computer or Phone: A Beginner’s Guide

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Want to search for a restaurant in Korean, message a café, or send your teacher an assignment? Learning to type Korean makes these everyday tasks easier. You can start with the computer or phone you already own. This guide covers keyboard setup on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. You will also learn how Korean letters join together, fix common typing problems, and practise messages you can use in Korea. 1. Understand How a Korean Keyboard Works 한글 (hangeul)—“the Korean alphabet” groups letters into syllable blocks. For example, 한 contains three letters: ㅎ, ㅏ, and ㄴ. You enter the letters in order, and the keyboard builds the block. Start with 두벌식 (dubeolsik)—“the two-set Korean keyboard layout.” Its basic consonants sit on the left and its vowels on the right. This gives you a useful starting point for practising on both computers and phones. A standard two-set keyboard uses letter positions, rather than English spellings of Korean sounds. Typing “han” will not automatica...

Korean Months and Dates: How to Read and Say Them Naturally

Korean dates generally follow year → month → day. Month names and numbered dates use Sino-Korean numbers, such as 일, 이, and 삼. Once you learn this pattern, you can read appointments and talk about your plans.

These phrases are useful when booking dinner, asking about an exam, or checking when a course begins. You will also need them when a website shows a date in a different order from the one you use at home.

This guide explains the twelve months, date questions, and practical booking sentences. Romanization is a pronunciation aid, so learn the Hangul alongside it. The dates in the examples are for practice, not announcements of actual events.

1. Learn the Twelve Korean Months

월 (wol) marks the month in a date. Most month names combine a Sino-Korean number with 월. For example, 3월, 삼월 (samwol) means “March.”

Student: 3월에 수업이 시작해요.
“Classes start in March.”

Here are all twelve months with a short example for each:

  • 1월, 일월 (irwol)—January
    1월에 한국에 가요.
    “I’m going to Korea in January.”
  • 2월, 이월 (iwol)—February
    2월에 수업이 시작해요.
    “Classes start in February.”
  • 3월, 삼월 (samwol)—March
    3월에 친구를 만나요.
    “I’m meeting a friend in March.”
  • 4월, 사월 (sawol)—April
    4월에 여행해요.
    “I’m travelling in April.”
  • 5월, 오월 (owol)—May
    5월에 시험이 있어요.
    “I have an exam in May.”
  • 6월, 유월 (yuwol)—June
    6월에 서울에 가요.
    “I’m going to Seoul in June.”
  • 7월, 칠월 (chirwol)—July
    7월에 시간이 있어요.
    “I have time in July.”
  • 8월, 팔월 (parwol)—August
    8월에 예약했어요.
    “I made a reservation for August.”
  • 9월, 구월 (guwol)—September
    9월에 다시 만나요.
    “Let’s meet again in September.”
  • 10월, 시월 (siwol)—October
    10월에 여행해요.
    “I’m travelling in October.”
  • 11월, 십일월 (sibirwol)—November
    11월에 이사해요.
    “I’m moving in November.”
  • 12월, 십이월 (sibiwol)—December
    12월에 가족을 만나요.
    “I’m seeing my family in December.”

Remember two exceptions: June is 유월, and October is 시월. Do not read their usual month names as 육월 or 십월. Learn these two forms as part of the list.

2. Build Numbered Dates with 일

일 (il) marks the numbered day of the month. For example, 5일, 오일 (oil) means “the fifth.”

Friend: 5일에 만나요.
“Let’s meet on the fifth.”

Use Sino-Korean numbers for these dates. English changes “fifteen” to “fifteenth,” but Korean simply uses the number with 일. Do not use the native Korean number 열다섯 for the date 15일.

  • 1일: 일일 (iril)—the 1st
  • 2일: 이일 (iil)—the 2nd
  • 3일: 삼일 (samil)—the 3rd
  • 10일: 십일 (sibil)—the 10th
  • 15일: 십오일 (siboil)—the 15th
  • 20일: 이십일 (isibil)—the 20th
  • 21일: 이십일일 (isibir il)—the 21st
  • 31일: 삼십일일 (samsibir il)—the 31st

The spacing in the longer Romanized examples helps you see the number followed by the day marker. Say the Korean phrase as a connected expression. Listening will help you recognise sounds that join together.

Put the month before the day: 3월 15일, 삼월 십오일 (samwol siboil) means “March 15.” You do not need an equivalent of “of” between the two parts.

Customer: 3월 15일에 예약할 수 있어요?
“Can I make a reservation for March 15?”

Employee: 네, 가능해요.
“Yes, you can.”

Notice that 십일월 means November, while 십일 means the tenth when read as a date. The final marker tells you whether you are reading a month or a day.

3. Ask “What’s the Date?”

몇 월이에요? (myeot worieyo?) means “What month is it?” Add 지금 when asking about the current month.

Person A: 지금 몇 월이에요?
“What month is it now?”

Person B: 10월이에요.
“It’s October.”

오늘 며칠이에요? (oneul myeochirieyo?) means “What’s the date today?” The correct spelling is 며칠, not 몇일.

Person A: 오늘 며칠이에요?
“What’s the date today?”

Person B: 15일이에요.
“It’s the fifteenth.”

To ask for both month and day, use 몇 월 며칠이에요? (myeot wol myeochirieyo?)— “What’s the date?” This is useful when discussing an event.

Student: 시험은 몇 월 며칠이에요?
“What’s the date of the exam?”

Teacher: 5월 20일이에요.
“It’s May 20.”

Keep this separate from 무슨 요일이에요? (museun yoirieyo?)— “What day of the week is it?” A date answer is “May 20”; a weekday answer is “Tuesday.” English “What day?” can refer to either, so choose your Korean question carefully.

4. Read Korean Date Order and Make Reservations

년 (nyeon) marks the year. A full Korean date follows year, month, then day. For example, 2027년 3월 15일 means “March 15, 2027.”

Read that date as 이천이십칠 년 삼월 십오 일. Documents may also show it as 2027.03.15 or 2027-03-15. Overseas booking services may use other formats, so check the labels instead of guessing.

3월 15일에 (samwol siboire) means “on March 15.” The particle 에 marks when something happens.

Colleague: 3월 15일에 회의가 있어요.
“We have a meeting on March 15.”

For a restaurant reservation, give the date, time, and number of people. Listen carefully when the employee repeats the details.

Customer: 4월 8일 오후 6시에 두 명 예약하고 싶어요.
“I’d like to book for two people at 6 p.m. on April 8.”

Employee: 4월 8일 오후 6시, 두 분 맞으세요?
“April 8 at 6 p.m., for two people—is that correct?”

Customer: 네, 맞아요.
“Yes, that’s right.”

For a range, 5월 3일부터 5월 7일까지 (owol samilbuteo owol chirilkkaji) means “from May 3 to May 7.” 부터 marks the starting point, and 까지 marks the ending point.

Employee: 5월 3일부터 5월 7일까지 쉬어요.
“We’re closed from May 3 to May 7.”

For accommodation, confirm check-in and check-out separately. The final date in a stay may be your departure date, rather than another night of accommodation. A date range alone does not settle every booking detail.

5. Speech Levels and Common Beginner Mistakes

Month and date names do not change according to politeness. The sentence ending does. 며칠이에요? (myeochirieyo?) is an everyday polite “What date is it?”

며칠이야? (myeochiriya?) is the casual version. Use it with someone you already speak to casually.

Friend A: 생일이 며칠이야?
“When’s your birthday?”

Friend B: 8월 12일이야.
“It’s August 12.”

며칠입니까? (myeochirimnikka?) is a more formal “What date is it?” In ordinary conversations with staff or acquaintances, 며칠이에요? is often sufficient.

  • Read 6월 as 유월 and 10월 as 시월.
  • Use Sino-Korean numbers for calendar dates.
  • Write 며칠, not 몇일.
  • Use context to distinguish a month from 월 in 월요일.
  • Confirm the year, month, day, and time when necessary.

Finally, 이번 달 (ibeon dal) means “this month,” and 다음 달 (daeum dal) means “next month.” These expressions help you talk about plans before giving an exact date.

Friend A: 다음 달에 한국에 가요.
“I’m going to Korea next month.”

Friend B: 몇 월 며칠에 가요?
“What date are you going?”

Quick Practice

  1. Read 6월 and 10월 in Korean.
  2. Complete “Can I make a reservation for March 15?”: 3월 15일___ 예약할 수 있어요?
  3. Read 2027.04.08 in English. Which spelling is correct for asking the date: 며칠 or 몇일?

Answers

  1. 유월 and 시월. These are the two month-name exceptions.
  2. 에. It marks the date of the requested reservation.
  3. April 8, 2027. 며칠 is correct. The date follows year–month–day order.

Practise with a Date You Actually Need

Use Sino-Korean numbers for months and dates, and remember 유월 and 시월. Add 에 to say when something happens. Confirm the complete date when arranging an important appointment.

Choose a date on your calendar and say it aloud. Then try a booking question such as “3월 15일에 예약할 수 있어요?” You now have a practical way to discuss dates in Korean.

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If you are in Korea around Chuseok, you may hear the same phrase everywhere: at work, in a café, after class, or just before saying goodbye to a Korean friend. That phrase is 추석 잘 보내세요 . It is one of the most useful Korean holiday greetings you can learn, especially if you are a beginner. It may look simple, but translating it word for word does not quite explain how Koreans actually use it. In this lesson, you will learn what it really means, when to say it, how to make it casual or polite, and what to say after the holiday is over. 1. What Does “추석 잘 보내세요” Mean? 추석 잘 보내세요 (Chuseok jal bonaeseyo) Natural meaning: “Have a good Chuseok,” “Enjoy your Chuseok,” or “Have a nice Chuseok holiday.” This is probably the safest Chuseok greeting for a Korean learner to remember. The verb 보내다 (bonaeda) can mean “to send,” but when Koreans use it with time, a weekend, a vacation, or a holiday, it can mean “to spend” that time. So you do not need to translate 추석 잘 보내세요 word by word. T...
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Learning to recognize Hangul is only the first step. The next challenge is making the letters sound like natural Korean instead of reading them as if they were English. This is where many beginners get confused. Korean consonants such as ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㄹ do not match English consonants perfectly, and vowels such as ㅓ and ㅡ can be especially tricky if you rely too heavily on Romanization. This Korean alphabet pronunciation guide focuses on the sounds that matter most in real life. You will practice words you can use in cafés, restaurants, subway stations, shops, and everyday conversations. Romanization can help at the beginning, but treat it as a temporary guide. Your long-term goal should be to connect Hangul directly with Korean sounds. 1. ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ Are Not Exactly English G, D, and B One of the first things English speakers should understand is that Korean consonants do not always fit neatly into English sound categories. Take these three basic consonants: ㄱ — often desc...
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