80/20 Korean: How to Say ‘Yesterday’ in Korean

Yesterday

어제

eoje

Some of the most basic words you will learn in any language are the days of the week as well as the months. Alongside of that, something that is very convenient to learn early on are words such as ‘today’, ‘tomorrow’, and ‘yesterday’. In this lesson specifically, we will focus on how to say yesterday in Korean. Check out our other lessons so you can quickly learn how to say today and tomorrow as well.

 

 

‘Yesterday’ in Korean

The word for how to say yesterday in Korean is 어제 (eoje). Short and simple! Though it is not the only word that means yesterday in Korean, it is usually the one used.

However, if you want to learn just for fun, or in order to impress your Korean friends, there are also two other words with the same meaning that you can use. First, there is 작일 (jagil). This word derives from Chinese, and is typically not used outside of academics. Second, there is the word 어저께 (eojeokke). This word’s meaning and usage doesn’t differ that much from 어제, but you will not often see it being used.

Associations for ‘Yesterday’ in Korean

To remember how to say yesterday in Korean we’ll create an English association for it. This can be any word, phrase, or image that helps you recall the Korean word and its meaning.

So how can we remember 어제? Easy, it sounds just like O.J. or Orange Juice.

 

We ran out of O.J. Yesterday. (어제)

What associations can you think up to remember 어제? Remember, the more unique or strange the story is, the easier it is to remember.

A word of caution about Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Sample Sentences

 

Standard:

어제 한국 돌아왔어요. (eoje hanguk dorawasseoyo.)

I came back to Korea yesterday.

어제 하루 종일 회의에 있었어요. (eoje haru jongil hoeuie isseosseoyo.)

I spent all of yesterday in a business meeting.

그때 한 싸움을 바로 어저께 있는 일인듯 기억해요. (geuttae han ssaumeul baro eojeokke inneun irindeut gieokaeyo.)

I remember that fight like it was yesterday.

Informal:

어제 아침에 학교 안오고 어디 있었지? (eoje achime hakgyo anogo eodi isseotji?)

Where were you yesterday morning instead of school?

어제 술 많이 마셔서 오늘 머리 아파. (eoje sul mani masyeoseo oneul meori apa.)

I drank too much yesterday so now my head hurts.

어제 날씨는 되게 좋았는데 왜 갑자기 비만 오고 있지? (eoje nalssineun doege joanneunde wae gapjagi biman ogo itji?)

The weather was so good yesterday, why is it suddenly only raining?

미안한데 내 몸은 어제부터 많이 아파서 우리 약속을 미룰 수 있을까? (mianhande nae momeun eojebuteo mani apaseo uri yaksogeul mirul su isseulkka?)

I’m sorry but my body has been hurting since yesterday, so is it possible for us to reschedule our plan?

 

 

Photo Credit: BigStockPhoto

The post How To Say ‘Yesterday’ In Korean appeared first on 90 Day Korean®.