일 분
il bun
The English phrase "one minute" is translated into Korean as 일 분 (il bun).
일 분 is used to refer to a period of time lasting sixty seconds.
How do you pronounce it?
il bun
Did you know?
- In casual Korean speech, when someone asks you to wait 'one minute', they might actually say '잠시만요' (jam-si-man-yo), which literally means 'just a moment' rather than specifying sixty seconds.
- In Korean, the word 분 (bun) can also be a respectful counter used for people, such as 'one person' (honored), which sounds identical to 'one minute' despite having a completely different meaning.
- The word 분 (bun) in 'one minute' comes from the Chinese character 分, which means 'to divide' or 'a part', implying that a minute is a small division of a larger whole.
Examples in context
- 죄송합니다, 일분만 기다려주세요.I'm sorry, please wait for one minute.
- 일분 동안 조용히 계세요.Please stay quiet for one minute.
- 잠깐만! 1분만 기다려줄래?Wait a sec! Can you wait one minute?
- 1분만 조용히 있어 주세요.Please be quiet for one minute.
- 일 분만 기다려 주세요.il bun-man gidaryeo juseyo.Please wait just one minute.
- 일 분이 지났어요.il bun-i jinasseoyo.One minute has passed.
- 일 분 정도 걸릴 거예요.il bun jeongdo geollil geoyeyo.It will take about one minute.
Example conversation
Seoyeon is waiting for Hyunwoo to finish a task.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우 씨, 다 됐어요?Hyeon-u ssi, da dwaesseoyo?Hyunwoo, are you finished?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니요, 일 분만 더 주세요.aniyo, il bunman deo juseyo.No, please give me one more minute.
- 서연 Seo-yeon알겠어요. 천천히 하세요.algesseoyo. cheoncheonhi haseyo.I understand. Take your time.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 금방 끝낼게요.ne, geumbang kkeunnaelgeyo.Yes, I will finish it quickly.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 분, 일, CC BY-SA 4.0.
