TL;DR — 5 Words for This Lesson
- 지금 — now
- 나중에 — later
- 항상 — always
- 자주 — often
- 가끔 — sometimes
Iru Helper Note
These 5 words let you describe when and how often things happen — two of the most useful pieces of information in any conversation. Once you're comfortable with these, head to <mention-page url="The Calendar: Week, Month, Year"> to learn the bigger units of time: weeks, months, and years.
Example: 지금은 한국어 공부를 자주 못 하지만, 나중에는 항상 시간을 내려고 해요. 가끔은 그게 어렵지만요. (Right now I can't study Korean often, but later I always try to make time. Sometimes that's hard though.)
🎯 Big Picture
Time adverbs are small words that pack a lot of meaning — they tell your listener exactly when something happens (지금, 나중에) or how frequently it happens (항상, 자주, 가끔). In Korean, these adverbs are placed before the verb (or at the start of the sentence) and don't need any special particles. Master these 5, and you can talk about your daily routine, plans, and habits with ease.
📖 Core Vocabulary Family
1. 지금 (now)
지금 means "now" or "right now" — the present moment.
- 지금 뭐 해요? (What are you doing now?)
- 지금 갈게요. (I'll go now.)
Grammar note: 지금 needs no particle and usually goes right before the verb or at the start of the sentence.
2. 나중에 (later)
나중에 means "later," at some unspecified point in the future.
- 나중에 다시 전화할게요. (I'll call again later.)
- 나중에 만나요. (See you later.)
Grammar note: 나중에 = 나중 (later/afterward) + 에 (time marker). The 에 is fixed — you can't drop it.
3. 항상 (always)
항상 means "always" — 100% of the time, every single time.
- 저는 항상 아침을 먹어요. (I always eat breakfast.)
- 그는 항상 늦어요. (He's always late.)
Grammar note: Frequency adverbs like 항상 go before the verb they describe, usually right after the subject.
4. 자주 (often)
자주 means "often" or "frequently" — a high frequency, but not 100%.
- 자주 운동해요? (Do you exercise often?)
- 저는 친구를 자주 만나요. (I often meet friends.)
Grammar note: Same placement as 항상 — before the verb.
5. 가끔 (sometimes)
가끔 means "sometimes" or "occasionally" — a low-to-moderate frequency.
- 가끔 영화를 봐요. (I sometimes watch movies.)
- 가끔은 쉬는 게 좋아요. (Sometimes it's good to rest.)
Grammar note: Adding 은/는 after 가끔 (가끔은) adds emphasis, like "sometimes (as opposed to other times)..."
🗣️ How They Work in a Sentence
- 지금은 바쁘지만 나중에 시간이 있어요. (I'm busy now, but I have time later.)
- 저는 항상 일찍 일어나지만 가끔 늦잠을 자요. (I always wake up early, but sometimes I sleep in.)
- 친구를 자주 만나고 가끔 같이 여행을 가요. (I meet friends often and sometimes travel together.)
🧱 General Formation Rule
Frequency adverbs in Korean follow a rough scale from "always" to "never":
항상 (always) > 자주 (often) > 보통 (usually) > 가끔 (sometimes) > 거의 안 (almost never) > 전혀 (not at all)
All of these go directly before the verb (or before the object + verb), with no particle attached. Time adverbs like 지금 and 나중에 are more flexible and can start a sentence.
Cross-check: Search "항상" or "가끔" on korean.go.kr (표준국어대사전) to see the full frequency-adverb scale with formal definitions and examples.
🔁 Synonym Alert
- 지금 vs 이제 — 지금 is a neutral "now"; 이제 carries a sense of "now (as opposed to before)" — implying a change of state, like "now [that things have changed]..."
- 항상 vs 늘 — both mean "always," but 늘 has a slightly more literary/poetic feel, often seen in writing or song lyrics.
⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge
- 나중에 vs 다음에 — 나중에 means "later" (some unspecified future time); 다음에 means "next time" (referring to a specific future occasion, like "let's do this again next time").
- No 에 after 지금 — 지금 already functions as a complete adverb; don't add 에 (지금에 is incorrect).
- 가끔 vs 가끔씩 — both mean "sometimes," but 가끔씩 has a slightly more casual, repetitive feel ("every once in a while, repeatedly").
- Mind the frequency scale — mixing up 자주 (often) and 가끔 (sometimes) completely flips your meaning, so double-check before using them in important sentences.
- 항상 vs 언제나 — 언제나 is a more emphatic/poetic version of 항상, often used for dramatic effect ("forever and always").
시간 부사만 알면 언제, 얼마나 자주 하는지 다 말할 수 있어요! ⏰🔁📅
Try this exercise
Fill in each blank with the correct word from this lesson: 지금, 나중에, 항상, 자주, 가끔.
- 뭐 해요? (What are you doing ?)
- 다시 전화할게요. (I'll call again .)
- 저는 아침을 먹어요. (I eat breakfast.)
- 운동을 해요? (Do you exercise ?)
- 영화를 봐요. (I watch movies.)
- 은 바쁘지만 나중에 시간이 있어요. (I'm busy , but free later.)
- 그는 늦어요. (He's late.)
- 친구를 만나요. (I meet friends .)
- 늦잠을 자요. (I sleep in.)
- 만나요! (See you !)
Answer Key
- 지금 2. 나중에 3. 항상 4. 자주 5. 가끔 6. 지금 7. 항상 8. 자주 9. 가끔 10. 나중에
Vocabulary Box: 지금 (now) · 나중에 (later) · 항상 (always) · 자주 (often) · 가끔 (sometimes)
Pitfalls Recap: 나중에 ≠ 다음에. Never add 에 to 지금. Keep the frequency scale straight: 항상 > 자주 > 가끔.
Want more reps? Head down to the Practice Hub below for 5 more exercises covering recall, sentences, and mixed review.
Practice Hub: Adverbs of Time
Five exercises building on the core vocabulary plus extra time and frequency words for everyday conversation.
Exercise 1 — Word Recall: Korean → English 📋➡️🔤
A. 보통
Answer
usually
B. 거의
Answer
almost / hardly
C. 전혀
Answer
not at all
D. 매일
Answer
every day
E. 매주
Answer
every week
F. 다음에
Answer
next time
G. 아까
Answer
a while ago / earlier
H. 곧
Answer
soon
I. 미리
Answer
in advance / beforehand
J. 드디어
Answer
finally / at last
Quick Reference
- 보통 sits between 자주 and 가끔 on the frequency scale
- 거의 and 전혀 both pair with negative verbs (안/못)
- 매일/매주 = "every day/week"
Exercise 2 — Word Recall: English → Korean 🔤➡️📋
A. usually
Answer
보통
B. almost never
Answer
거의 안
C. not at all
Answer
전혀
D. every day
Answer
매일
E. every week
Answer
매주
F. next time
Answer
다음에
G. a while ago
Answer
아까
H. soon
Answer
곧
I. in advance
Answer
미리
J. finally
Answer
드디어
Quick Reference
- 아까 = past ("earlier today"); 곧 = future ("soon")
- 미리 often pairs with 준비하다 (to prepare in advance)
- 드디어 expresses relief/excitement after a wait
Exercise 3 — Choose the Right Adverb ✍️
A. I always study Korean.
Answer
저는 항상 한국어를 공부해요.
B. I sometimes go to the gym.
Answer
저는 가끔 헬스장에 가요.
C. I often drink coffee.
Answer
저는 커피를 자주 마셔요.
D. I'll see you later.
Answer
나중에 봐요.
E. What are you doing right now?
Answer
지금 뭐 하고 있어요?
F. I usually wake up at 7.
Answer
저는 보통 7시에 일어나요.
G. I almost never eat fast food.
Answer
저는 패스트푸드를 거의 안 먹어요.
H. I don't drink alcohol at all.
Answer
저는 술을 전혀 안 마셔요.
I. I study every day.
Answer
저는 매일 공부해요.
J. I'll call you soon.
Answer
곧 전화할게요.
Exercise 4 — Sentence Translation: English → Korean 🔤➡️📐
A. I'm busy now, but free later.
Answer
지금은 바쁘지만 나중에는 시간이 있어요.
B. He's always positive.
Answer
그는 항상 긍정적이에요.
C. We often eat out on weekends.
Answer
우리는 주말에 자주 외식해요.
D. Sometimes I just want to be alone.
Answer
가끔은 혼자 있고 싶어요.
E. I usually go to bed at midnight.
Answer
저는 보통 자정에 자요.
F. I'll finish this soon.
Answer
이거 곧 끝낼게요.
G. Let's decide in advance.
Answer
미리 정해요.
H. I saw him a while ago.
Answer
아까 그를 봤어요.
I. Finally, the exam is over!
Answer
드디어 시험이 끝났어요!
J. I almost forgot!
Answer
거의 잊어버렸어요!
Exercise 5 — Mixed Review: Frequency & Time Scale 🔄🎭
A. 100% frequency
Answer
항상 (always)
B. 0% frequency
Answer
전혀 (not at all)
C. Roughly 80%
Answer
자주 (often)
D. Roughly 50%
Answer
보통 (usually)
E. Roughly 20%
Answer
가끔 (sometimes)
F. "right now"
Answer
지금 (now)
G. "afterward, unspecified time"
Answer
나중에 (later)
H. "every single day"
Answer
매일 (every day)
I. "in a little while"
Answer
곧 (soon)
J. "beforehand"
Answer
미리 (in advance)
이제 언제, 얼마나 자주 하는지 자유롭게 표현할 수 있어요! ⏰🔁📅
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