I. Examples
<Example 1>
- 저는 아침 6시에 일어나요.
(I get up at 6 a.m in the morning.)
<Example 2>
- 토요일에 만나요.
(See you on Saturday.)
<Example 3>
- 1월 1일에 한국에 왔어요.
(I came to Korea on 1st January.)
II. Grammar Point
1. ‘at’ in English + Time
In addition to the previously explained usage, 에 also indicate time and expresses the time when action, event or situation occurs. It corresponds to ‘at’ or ‘on’ in English. 에 can combine with the particle 는 and 도, resulting in 에는 and 에도.
- Year – 2009년에 (in 2009)
- Month – 5월에 (in May)
- Day – 8월 5일에 (on 5th August)
- Day of Week – 월요일에 (on Monday)
- Season – 봄에 (in spring)
- Time – 아침에 (in the morning)
2. 에는 / 에도
The above-mentioned 에는 is a postpositional particle used to emphasize the place or time of the preceding statement or compare it with another. 에도 simply means 에 + as well. The example below will be helpful for a clear understanding.
- 지금 출발하면 오늘 안에는 도착할 수 있을 거야.
(“If we leave now, we should be able to arrive
(at least) within today.)
- 이번 여름에는 제주도에나 갈까?
(Should we go to Jeju Island this summer?)
= did not go to Jeju last summer
- 모닥불은 그 다음 날에도 여전히 타고 있었다.
(The bonfire was still smouldering the next day.)
- 토요일에도 우편물 배달을 하나요?
(Is there a postal/mail delivery (even) on Saturdays?)
3. 에 Cannot Be Added to
You cannot use 에 with the time nouns, such as 그제 or 그저께 (the day before yesterday), 어제 or 어저께 (yesterday), 오늘 (today), 내일 (tomorrow), 모레 (the day after tomorrow) and 언제 (when).
- 어제에 레아를 만났아요. (X)
(I met Lea yesterday.)
- 내일에 영화를 볼 거예요. (X)
(I plan to see a movie tomorrow.)
- 언제에 프랑스에 가요? (X)
(When will you go to France?)
4. Plural 에 –> X
In a sentence where multiple time-related nouns are used, 에 is added only to the final noun. For instance, 다음 주에 토요일에 오전에 10시 30분에 만나요 is grammatically incorrect. It should be 다음 주 토요일 오전 10시 30분에 만나요 (Let’s meet next Saturday at 10:30 A.M.).
III. Practice
- 일요일 오후 3시___ 만나요.
- 한국은 8월15일___ 왔어요.
IV. See More
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (1): N이/가
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (2): N은/는
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (3): N을/를
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (4): N와/과, N(이)랑, N하고
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (5): N의
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (6): N에1
- Korean Grammar Beginner -Particles- (7): N에2