How to Say Dates and Birthdays in Korean (and Your Real Age)

Korean dates go from big to small, year, month, day, using Sino-Korean numbers: October 19, 2026 is 2026년 10월 19일, said 이천이십육 년 시월 십구 일.

Two months are spelled irregularly, 유월 (June) and 시월 (October). And since June 2023, Korea officially uses international age, so your Korean age is now the same as your passport age.

How do you say the year?

Read the year as a normal Sino-Korean number and add 년 (nyeon). No splitting into “twenty twenty-six” like English.

Note the sound change in 이십육: written isip-yuk, said i-sim-nyuk. You hear the same thing in 십육 (16), said sim-nyuk.

The 12 months: number + 월

Months are just Sino-Korean numbers plus 월 (wol, “month,” originally “moon”). The only catch is June and October, which drop a final consonant to make them easier to say.

To ask “what month?” say 몇 월 (myeot wol, said myeo-dwol).

Days of the month: number + 일

Days are Sino-Korean numbers plus 일 (il, “day,” originally “sun”). Yes, “the 1st” is 일 일, which looks funny but is correct.

To ask the date, use 며칠 (myeochil): 오늘 며칠이에요? (oneul myeochirieyo?), “What’s the date today?” It is spelled 며칠, not 몇 일, which is one of the most common spelling mistakes even among native speakers.

Days of the week

Every weekday ends in 요일 (yoil). The first syllable comes from the sun, moon and five classical elements, just like the old Latin names behind French and Spanish weekdays.

Ask with 무슨 요일이에요? (museun yoirieyo?), “What day is it?” So today, a Monday, you would answer: 오늘은 2026년 10월 19일 월요일이에요.

Weekdays are often shortened to one syllable on calendars and signs: 월 화 수 목 금 토 일. If a shop sign says 월 휴무, it is closed on Mondays.

How do you talk about birthdays?

Birthday is 생일 (saengil). For grandparents or your boss, use the honorific 생신 (saengsin).

Koreans often ask your birth year instead of your age, because it tells them right away who is older and how to speak to each other. Many people just say the last two digits: 03년생 (gong-sam nyeonsaeng) for 2003.

On a birthday, someone will probably make you 미역국 (miyeokguk), seaweed soup, the traditional birthday breakfast.

What happened to “Korean age”?

Traditionally, Koreans counted age so that you were 1 at birth and everyone turned one year older on January 1. A baby born on December 31 became 2 years old the next day.

On June 28, 2023, a revised Civil Act and Framework Act on Administrative Regulation took effect, making international age (만 나이, man nai) the standard for laws, contracts and official documents. You start at 0 and add a year on your birthday, just like everywhere else.

A few laws still use “year age,” calendar year minus birth year, for practical reasons. The Youth Protection Act (alcohol and cigarettes) and the Military Service Act are the best-known examples. And socially, habits change slowly, so you will still hear older people count the old way or ask 몇 년생 instead.

To say your age, use native numbers plus 살: 저는 스물두 살이에요 (jeoneun seumul-du sarieyo), “I’m 22.” If you want to be precise, add 만: 만 스물두 살, “22 in international age.”

Put it all together

Say your own birthday out loud in full: year, month, day and weekday. Then say today’s date, and the date of your next trip or exam. That covers 년, 월, 일, both irregular months if you are lucky, and 요일.

The Korean number converter turns any date into Korean, including 유월 and 시월, so you can check yourself. For why ages use native numbers but dates use Sino-Korean, see native vs Sino-Korean numbers. And if you want your name in Hangul for that birthday card, try the Korean name generator.

Sources: National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) Standard Korean Language Dictionary and spelling rules (유월, 시월, 며칠); Ministry of Government Legislation, unified international age system effective June 28, 2023 (revised Civil Act and Framework Act on Administrative Regulation).

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