오후
ohu[ˈo̞(ː)βu]
The Korean word for 'afternoon' is 오후 (ohu).
오후 is a noun used to refer to the part of the day between noon and evening.
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 오후 refers to the afternoon (PM), 오전 is the term used for the morning or the period before noon (AM).
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 에 to 오후 creates the meaning 'in the afternoon' or 'during the afternoon' to indicate a time.
How do you pronounce it?
ohu
Did you know?
- The character 午 in 오후 originally refers to the 'Horse' in the traditional twelve-sign zodiac system. Because the 'Horse' hour represents the peak of the sun, it became the foundation for all midday timekeeping.
- In professional settings, a 'half-day' leave in the afternoon is called 오후 반차. The term 반차 literally means 'half-car', a remnant of old administrative terminology.
- Korean uses 오후 for both 'afternoon' and 'PM'. When telling time, it is placed before the number, unlike in English where 'PM' follows the number.
Examples in context
- 오후에 골프 치러 갈래?How about playing golf this afternoon?The first sentence uses 오후 to suggest an activity for this afternoon.Tatoeba #11106931 by intertime, translation #242530 by CK
- 난 오후에는 집에 있을려고.I'm going to be at home this afternoon.The second sentence uses 오후 to describe a plan for this afternoon.Tatoeba #8361520 by Eunhee, translation #6659978 by CK
- 난 보통 오후 간식은 안 먹어.I don't usually have an afternoon snack.The third sentence uses 오후 to describe a routine involving an afternoon snack.Tatoeba #13755068 by qlTmalffk, translation #8272009 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are making plans for their meeting.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 오늘 오후에 시간 있어요?Jihun ssi, oneul ohue sigan isseoyo?Jihun, do you have time this afternoon?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 오후에 특별한 일 없어요.Ne, ohue teukbyeolhan il eopseoyo.Yes, I don't have anything special this afternoon.
- 수빈 Su-bin그럼 같이 카페에 갈까요?Geureom gatchi kapee galkkayo?Then shall we go to a cafe together?
- 지훈 Ji-hun좋아요. 수빈 씨가 가고 싶은 곳으로 가요.Joayo. Subin ssi ga go sipeun goseuro gayo.Sounds good. Let's go wherever you want to go, Subin.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afternoon” translations and entries 오후, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 오후, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
