Times and spans: 에, 부터, 까지

에 on the clock

The particle 에 you know from places also marks the time at which something happens: 일곱 시에 일어나요 I get up at seven, 월요일에 회사에 가요 on Monday I go to work, 저녁에 텔레비전을 봐요 in the evening I watch television. The parts of the day are 아침 morning, 점심 midday, 저녁 evening and 밤 night, and the clock splits into 오전 before noon and 오후 after. A handful of time words refuse 에 entirely: 오늘, 내일, 어제, 지금, 매일. Say 오늘 회사에 가요, never 오늘에.

From and until: 부터, 까지

A span of time is bracketed by 부터 from and 까지 until, each glued to its time word: 아홉 시부터 여섯 시까지 일해요 I work from nine to six, 월요일부터 금요일까지 from Monday to Friday. Either half can stand alone: 내일부터 from tomorrow, 열 시까지 by ten. 까지 also works on places, as as far as: 집까지 걸어요 I walk as far as home. The routine verbs of the lesson give you a day to hang these on: 일어나다, 씻다, 출근하다, 퇴근하다, 자다.

오후 두 시부터 네 시까지 수업이 있어요I have class from two to four in the afternoon.

저는 매일 여섯 시에 퇴근해요I leave work at six every day.