1월
1wol[iɾwʌ̹ɭ]
January is 1월 (1wol) in Korean. Wiktionary also lists 일월 (irwol) and 정월 (jeong'wol).
Meaning: first month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 1월 | 1wol | [iɾwʌ̹ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 일월 | irwol | [iɾwʌ̹ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 정월 | jeong'wol | [t͡ɕʌ̹ŋwʌ̹ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term is used to name the first month of the Gregorian calendar.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 1월 is composed of the number one (1/일) and the counter for months (월), literally meaning "first month".
Which one should you use?
While 1월 refers to the first month of the Gregorian calendar, 정월 is used specifically to refer to the first month of the lunar calendar.
How do you pronounce it?
1wol
Did you know?
- The term 일월 can be read as 'sun and moon' if you use the characters 日 and 月 instead of the ones meaning 'one month'.
- In traditional Korean culture, the first lunar month 정월 is a time for eating 'five-grain rice' to pray for a successful harvest in the coming year.
- The number 'one' in 일월 is the Sino-Korean reading 일, which is different from the native Korean number 'hana'.
Examples in context
- 1월, 2월, 3월, 4월, 5월, 6월, 7월, 8월, 9월, 10월, 11월, 12월.January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.This sequence shows the names of all twelve months, using 1월 for January.Tatoeba #13644466 by Adelpa, translation #7910253 by MarijnKp
- 1월은 너무 추워요.il-wol-eun neo-mu chu-wo-yo.January is too cold.
- 제 생일은 1월이에요.je saeng-il-eun il-wol-i-e-yo.My birthday is in January.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their upcoming travel plans.
- 민준 Min-jun언제 한국에 와요?eon-je han-guk-e wa-yo?When are you coming to Korea?
- 서연 Seo-yeon1월에 갈 거예요.il-wol-e gal geo-ye-yo.I will go in January.
- 민준 Min-jun겨울이라서 정말 춥겠네요.gye-ul-i-ra-seo jeong-mal chu-get-ne-yo.It will be really cold since it's winter.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 옷을 따뜻하게 입을게요.ne, ot-eul tta-tteut-ha-ge ib-eul-ge-yo.Yes, I will dress warmly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “January” translations and entries 1월, 일월, 정월, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 일월, 정월, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
