How to Say "How Long Does It Take?" in Korean: Time Duration with 걸리다
Learn to ask and answer "How long does it take?" in Korean using 얼마나 걸려요? and time duration words like 분, 시간, and 일.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you need to know how long a trip, task, or wait will take, Korean uses a specific verb: 걸리다 (geollida), meaning "to take (time)." The question 얼마나 걸려요? (eolmana geollyeoyo?) is the standard polite way to ask "How long does it take?" In this lesson, you will learn that question, common time units, and how to answer with the pattern [time] + 걸려요. You will also practice distinguishing minutes, hours, and days so you can understand schedules and give realistic estimates.
By the end, you can…
- ask "How long does it take?" politely in Korean.
- understand and say durations in minutes, hours, and days.
- answer a duration question using the verb 걸리다.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
얼마나 걸려요?
How long does it take?
eolmana geollyeoyo?
Standard polite question for any duration. Use with strangers, staff, or people you address politely.
십 분 걸려요.
It takes ten minutes.
sip bun geollyeoyo.
Answer pattern: time + 걸려요. Use 분 (bun) for minutes in polite speech.
한 시간 걸려요.
It takes one hour.
han sigan geollyeoyo.
한 (han) is a native Korean number used before 시간 (sigan, hour).
이틀 걸려요.
It takes two days.
iteul geollyeoyo.
이틀 (iteul) is a native Korean word for "two days," not the Sino-Korean 이 일.
삼십 분쯤 걸려요.
It takes about thirty minutes.
samsip bunchum geollyeoyo.
Add 쯤 (chum) after the time to mean "about" or "approximately."
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [time expression] + 걸려요 (geollyeoyo). For example, 십 분 걸려요 (sip bun geollyeoyo) means "It takes ten minutes." To ask, put 얼마나 (eolmana, how long/how much) before 걸려요: 얼마나 걸려요? (eolmana geollyeoyo?). You can also name the destination with 까지: 집까지 얼마나 걸려요? (jipkkaji eolmana geollyeoyo?) means "How long does it take to get home?" Note that 걸리다 is an intransitive verb; the time is the subject, so the polite ending is 걸려요, not 걸려요? when answering.
When to use it
Use 얼마나 걸려요? when asking about travel time, waiting time, or how long a task takes. It is neutral-polite and safe in most situations. If you are talking to a close friend, you can use 얼마나 걸려? (eolmana geollyeo?) without 요. For a more formal setting, such as a business call, use 얼마나 걸립니까? (eolmana geollimnikka?). To answer, choose the right time unit: 분 (bun) for minutes, 시간 (sigan) for hours, and 일 (il) for days in Sino-Korean, but native words like 하루 (haru, one day) and 이틀 (iteul, two days) are common for day counts. Always match the number system: native numbers for hours and day words like 하루/이틀, Sino-Korean numbers for minutes and 일.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
여기에서 공항까지 얼마나 걸려요?
How long does it take from here to the airport?yeogieseo gonghangkkaji eolmana geollyeoyo?한 시간쯤 걸려요.
It takes about one hour.han siganchum geollyeoyo.버스로도 한 시간 걸려요?
Does it also take one hour by bus?beoseurodo han sigan geollyeoyo?아니요, 버스는 사십 분 걸려요.
No, the bus takes forty minutes.aniyo, beoseuneun sasip bun geollyeoyo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, asking about duration with 얼마나 걸려요? is direct but polite and very common in daily life. When giving an estimate, Koreans often add 쯤 (about) to soften the number, since exact times can vary. If you are speaking to someone older or in a formal service context, the more formal 얼마나 걸립니까? is appropriate. Avoid using 반말 (casual speech) with strangers, even if they are younger, unless you have established that closeness.
One thing to watch for
Using Sino-Korean numbers with 시간, as in 이 시간 for "two hours."
Try this instead: Hours use native Korean numbers: 한 시간 (one hour), 두 시간 (two hours), 세 시간 (three hours). For example, say 두 시간 걸려요 (du sigan geollyeoyo) for "It takes two hours." Minutes use Sino-Korean numbers: 이십 분 (isip bun, twenty minutes).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask "How long does it take?" politely?
Show a sample answer
얼마나 걸려요?
This is the standard polite question. In casual speech, 얼마나 걸려? is also correct with close friends.
2Say "It takes twenty minutes."
Show a sample answer
이십 분 걸려요.
Use Sino-Korean number 이십 with 분 for minutes, followed by 걸려요. You could also say 약 이십 분 걸려요 for "about twenty minutes."
3What is the difference between 한 시간 and 일 시간?
Show a sample answer
한 시간 means "one hour" and is correct; 일 시간 is not used for hours.
Hours take native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세...). 일 is Sino-Korean and is used for days in formal counting, but not with 시간.
To ask "How long does it take?" say 얼마나 걸려요? Answer with a time word plus 걸려요, and remember: native numbers for hours, Sino-Korean numbers for minutes.
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