LEARN KOREAN (한국어) [GRAMMAR] #1

KOREAN HOURS (시간)

Talking about minutes is easy because you always simply use 분. For example:

3시 20분 means "3:20", and
20분 동안 means "for 20 minutes"

When talking about hours, however, 시 is used when talking about the hour on a clock, whereas 시간 is used when counting hours. Notice the difference between these two sets:

3시 - 3:00
세 시 - Three o'clock

3시간 동안 - for 3 hours
세 시간 동안 - for three hours

Remember that pure Korean numbers are used when talking about hours. I usually write out the Korean word when I'm referring to an amount of hours as in the examples below. For example:

저는 세 시간 동안 잤어요 - I slept for 3 hours
저는 어제 한 시간 동안 야구를 했어요 - I played baseball for an hour yesterday
저는 어제 두 시간 동안 TV를 봤어요* - I watched TV for two hours yesterday

*Notice that 보다 (to see) is used when watching something. You can also use 보다 when you watch a performance or concert, or similar things. In English "I saw a TV" and "I watched TV" have two different meanings, but Koreans simply say "I see TV."

At this point you are probably asking saying "Okay, I understand how to say that I have done things for X hours or minutes, but what about if I want to say something like:

I will eat in three hours, or
I ate three hours ago

I will go in 10 minutes, or
I came 10 minutes ago"

You will learn how to create those types of sentences when you learn about 전 and 후.