평일
pyeong'il[pʰjʌ̹ŋiɭ]
The English phrase 'weekdays' is translated into Korean as 평일 (pyeong'il).
Meaning: On weekdays (adv)
Which one should you use?
평일 is the direct antonym of 주말, which means 'weekend'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 평일 as an adverb meaning 'on weekdays', the particle –에 is added to the noun, forming 평일에.
Did you know?
- The character 平 in 평일 means 'flat', 'even', or 'ordinary', suggesting that weekdays are 'ordinary days' compared to the specialness of the weekend.
- While 평일 refers to the general concept of weekdays, Koreans often use 평일 specifically to refer to the 'off-peak' period for booking hotels or flights, regardless of whether a particular day is a public holiday.
- In Korea, 평일 is often contrasted with 공휴일, which means 'public holiday'. A day can be a weekday by the calendar but not a 평일 if it is a national holiday.
Examples in context
- 평일에는 보통 운동을 해요.pyeong-il-e-neun bo-tong un-dong-eul hae-yo.On weekdays, I usually exercise.
- 평일 아침은 항상 바빠요.pyeong-il a-chim-eun hang-sang ba-ppa-yo.Weekday mornings are always busy.
- 평일에는 식당이 더 한가해요.pyeong-il-e-neun sik-dang-i deo han-ga-hae-yo.Restaurants are quieter on weekdays.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Ji-hoon are discussing their schedules.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 평일에 시간 있어요?Ji-hun ssi, pyeong-il-e si-gan is-seo-yo?Ji-hoon, do you have time on weekdays?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 평일에는 오후에 괜찮아요.Ne, pyeong-il-e-neun o-hu-e gwaen-chan-a-yo.Yes, I am free in the afternoons on weekdays.
- 지은 Ji-eun그럼 목요일에 커피 한잔해요.Geu-reom mok-yo-il-e keo-pi han-jan-hae-yo.Then, let's have a cup of coffee on Thursday.
- 지훈 Ji-hun좋아요, 그때 만나요.Jo-a-yo, geu-ttae man-na-yo.Sounds good, see you then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 평일, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 평일, CC BY-SA 4.0.
