How to Ask When a Bus or Train Leaves in Korean
Learn beginner Korean for asking departure times: say "What time does the next bus leave?" and understand simple schedule answers without confusing them with arrival times.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
If you want to travel in Korea, one of the most useful questions is when your bus or train leaves. In Korean, departure time is usually expressed with the verb 떠나다 (tteonada, "to leave") or 출발하다 (chulbalhada, "to depart"). This lesson teaches you to ask "What time does the next bus leave?" and to understand common schedule answers. It focuses only on departure times, not arrival times, so you can ask clearly at a bus stop, train station or ticket counter. You will practice the question pattern, key time words such as 다음 (daeum, "next") and 몇 시 (myeot si, "what time"), and simple replies like "at 3 o'clock" or "in 10 minutes."
By the end, you can…
- ask what time the next bus or train leaves in Korean.
- understand simple Korean answers about departure times, including hours and minutes.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요?
What time does the next bus leave?
da-eum beo-seu-neun myeot si-e tteo-na-yo?
Use at a bus stop or bus terminal. 다음 means "next," and 떠나요 is a polite everyday way to say "leaves."
다음 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요?
What time does the next train depart?
da-eum gi-cha-neun myeot si-e chul-bal-hae-yo?
Use at a train station. 출발해요 is common for scheduled transport departures.
몇 시에 떠나요?
What time does it leave?
myeot si-e tteo-na-yo?
A shorter question when the bus or train is already clear from context.
오후 세 시에 떠나요.
It leaves at 3 p.m.
o-hu se si-e tteo-na-yo
A typical schedule answer. Korean often uses native Korean numbers for hours: 한 시, 두 시, 세 시.
십 분 후에 출발해요.
It departs in 10 minutes.
sip bun hu-e chul-bal-hae-yo
Useful when the departure is soon. 후에 means "after" or "in" a length of time.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [transport] + 은/는 + 몇 시에 + 떠나요? or 출발해요? For example, 다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요? means "What time does the next bus leave?" and 다음 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요? means "What time does the next train depart?" The particle 은/는 marks the topic, and 에 marks the time. You can drop the transport word if it is obvious: 몇 시에 떠나요? Both 떠나요 and 출발해요 are polite present-tense forms. 떠나요 is natural in conversation; 출발해요 sounds a little more like an official schedule.
When to use it
Use these questions when you need the departure time, not the arrival time. At a bus stop, ask 다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요? At a train station, ask 다음 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요? If you are asking about a specific bus number, say 100번 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요? (baek-beon beo-seu-neun myeot si-e tteo-na-yo?, "What time does bus 100 leave?"). To ask about arrival time instead, you need a different verb, 도착하다 (dochakhada, "to arrive"), so do not use 떠나요 for arrivals.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요?
What time does the next bus leave?da-eum beo-seu-neun myeot si-e tteo-na-yo?오후 세 시에 떠나요.
It leaves at 3 p.m.o-hu se si-e tteo-na-yo지금 몇 시예요?
What time is it now?ji-geum myeot si-ye-yo?두 시 오십 분이에요. 십 분 후에 출발해요.
It is 2:50. It departs in 10 minutes.du si o-sip bun-i-e-yo. sip bun hu-e chul-bal-hae-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korea, buses and trains usually run on time, and announcements often use 출발 and 도착 to separate departure from arrival. At a ticket counter or information desk, the polite question 몇 시에 출발해요? is clear and appropriate. With friends, you can use the same pattern in casual speech, but the 요 ending keeps it polite and safe for most situations.
One thing to watch for
Using 도착해요 (dochakhaeyo, "arrives") when you mean "leaves," as in 다음 버스는 몇 시에 도착해요?
Try this instead: Use 떠나요 or 출발해요 for departure: 다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요? If you truly want the arrival time, ask 다음 버스는 몇 시에 도착해요? (da-eum beo-seu-neun myeot si-e do-chak-hae-yo?, "What time does the next bus arrive?")
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask "What time does the next train depart?" in Korean?
Show a sample answer
다음 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요?
This uses 다음 (next), 기차 (train), 몇 시에 (what time), and 출발해요 (departs). 다음 기차는 몇 시에 떠나요? is also acceptable in conversation.
2What does 오후 세 시에 떠나요 mean?
Show a sample answer
It leaves at 3 p.m.
오후 means "afternoon," 세 시 means "3 o'clock," and 떠나요 means "leaves." The answer gives a departure time, not an arrival time.
3If someone says 십 분 후에 출발해요, when does it leave?
Show a sample answer
In 10 minutes.
십 분 means "10 minutes," 후에 means "after/in," and 출발해요 means "departs." This is a relative departure time, so it depends on the current time.
To ask about departure times in Korean, use 다음 버스는 몇 시에 떠나요? or 다음 기차는 몇 시에 출발해요? Remember that 떠나요 and 출발해요 are for leaving, while 도착해요 is for arriving.
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