What’s the difference between the Korean words 하루, 일 and 날?
Do 하루, 일 and 날 all mean “day”? What’s their difference? Let’s take a look!
하루 = one day (24 hours)
오늘 하루는 어땠어? = How was your day?
하루가 정말 길어요. = One day is really long.
일 = a quantifier for day(s)
The 3 main usages of 일: 1) Days of the week 2) Date 3) Counting how many days
1. Days of the week
금요일 = Friday
2. Sino-Korean number + 일 = Date
5일 = 5th
4월 10일 = April 10th
3. Sino-Korean number + 일 = How many days
3일 = 3 days
4일 = 4 days
Also, 일 is a Sino-Korean word for “day”, so it often appears in some Sino-Korean words.
생일 = Birthday
매일 = Everyday
날 = a certain day
그 날에 학교에 갔어요. = I went to school that day.
두 번째 날에 가려고요. = I’m planning to go on the 2nd day.
*두 번째 날 can be contracted to 둘째 날
날 can also be used with a noun or adjective to describe a certain day
생일날 = the day of (my) birthday
비오는 날 = a rainy day
