8 Korean Time Words for Later, Earlier, and Right Now

Quick answer: Korean has two everyday words for "later": 이따가 (ittaga) means later today, and 나중에 (najunge) means later at some unspecified point — tomorrow, next month, who knows. For the past, 아까 means earlier today and 방금 means a moment ago. Picking between them depends on how far away the moment is, not on grammar.

That's the one idea worth carrying out of this article: Korean time words are sorted by distance from now. English gets away with "later" for both this afternoon and next year. Korean doesn't. Say 나중에 to a friend you're meeting at seven tonight and it sounds like you're quietly cancelling.

Here are the eight words you'll actually use, in the order of how close they sit to this exact second.

1. 방금 — "just now, a moment ago"

방금 도착했어요. — I just got here.

방금 covers the last few seconds or minutes. It's the word for stepping off the bus, hanging up a call, finishing a bite. Koreans use it constantly to explain why something is fresh news: 방금 전에 나갔어요. — He left just a moment ago. If someone mumbles and you missed it, 방금 뭐라고 하셨어요? (What did you just say?) is the polite 해요체 way to ask.

2. 아까 — "earlier (today)"

아까 커피 마셨어요. — I had coffee earlier.

아까 reaches back a few hours, but never past today. This is the single most common mistake learners make with it: 아까 cannot mean yesterday or last week. For that you need 어제 or 지난주. Within today, though, it's perfect: 아까 말했잖아요. — I told you earlier, remember? That 잖아요 ending adds a gentle "you already know this" — warm with friends, a little pointed with strangers.

3. 금방 — "in a second, quickly"

금방 갈게요. — I'll be right there.

금방 looks almost identical to 방금, and its most common use points the other way: forward, and very close. You say it when you want someone not to worry about waiting. 금방 끝나요. — It'll be over in no time. It also works for things that happen fast in general: 여름이 금방 지나갔어요. — The summer went by so fast. One thing to know: 금방 can also mean "a moment ago" — 금방 왔어요. — I just got here. So let context decide with 금방, while 방금 is always about the past. If you mix the two up, a Korean listener will follow you, but they'll notice — it's a classic pair in lists of common learner mistakes.

4. 곧 — "soon, shortly"

수업이 곧 시작해요. — Class starts soon.

곧 is the slightly more composed cousin of 금방. You hear it in announcements and polite notices — 곧 도착합니다 (We will be arriving shortly) in 합쇼체 — and in writing, where 금방 would feel too chatty. In conversation both work, but 곧 says "it's about to happen" while 금방 says "it won't take long." Small difference, and natives feel it.

5. 이따가 — "later today"

이따가 다시 전화할게요. — I'll call you back later (today).

이따가 is your default for anything happening before you go to sleep tonight. In speech it usually shortens to 이따: 이따 봐요. — See you later. If you've agreed to meet at six, this is the word. Note that 이따가 only ever points forward — there's no past use — and it quietly promises the same day, so don't use it for tomorrow's plans.

6. 나중에 — "later, sometime"

나중에 밥 한번 먹어요. — Let's grab a meal sometime.

나중에 is vague on purpose. It can mean next week, next year, or never — and Koreans use that vagueness socially. The sentence above is a warm, extremely common way to end a conversation, and nobody treats it as a firm appointment. 나중에 also pushes a topic away politely: 그건 나중에 얘기해요. — Let's talk about that later. So the rule of thumb: 이따가 for a plan, 나중에 for a wish. Saying 나중에 봐요 to someone you're seeing in two hours isn't wrong exactly, but it sounds oddly distant, like you've stopped counting the hours.

7. 벌써 — "already" (with surprise)

벌써 열 시네요. — It's ten already.

벌써 carries a tiny jolt — time moved faster than you expected. 벌써 다 했어요? (You're done already?) is a compliment. Its neutral twin is 이미, which simply reports a fact without the surprise: 이미 끝났어요. — It's already finished. 이미 shows up more in writing and in explanations; 벌써 is what comes out of your mouth when you look at the clock. Pairing it with the day of the week is very natural: 벌써 금요일이에요. — It's Friday already.

8. 아직 — "still, not yet"

아직 안 왔어요. — They haven't come yet.

아직 is the flip side of 벌써 and it's everywhere. With a negative it means "not yet": 아직 안 먹었어요. — I haven't eaten yet. With a positive verb it means "still": 아직 회사에 있어요. — I'm still at the office. On its own, 아직요 is a complete, polite answer when someone asks whether you've done something. And if a trip is dragging on, 아직 멀었어요? means Are we still far away?

Putting them in one conversation

Here's how they stack up in ordinary 해요체, the speech level you'll use with most people:

A: 점심 먹었어요? — Did you eat lunch? B: 아니요, 아직요. 아까 커피만 마셨어요. — No, not yet. I only had coffee earlier. A: 그럼 이따가 같이 먹어요. — Then let's eat together later today. B: 좋아요. 저 회의 금방 끝나요. — Sounds good. My meeting will be done in a minute.

Notice nobody said 나중에. Everything here is inside today, so 아까 and 이따가 do the work. Swap in 나중에 and the lunch quietly evaporates. If you're still building your core set of everyday lines, these pair neatly with the first phrases beginners need.

FAQ

How do you say "later" in Korean?

Use 이따가 for later the same day and 나중에 for a vague future time. "See you later" to someone you'll meet this evening is 이따 봐요; "let's meet sometime" with no date is 나중에 봐요. Both are 해요체, polite enough for coworkers, classmates and shop staff.

What is the difference between 방금 and 금방?

방금 means "a moment ago" and always points to the past: 방금 도착했어요 — I just arrived. 금방 usually points forward and means "in a second, very soon": 금방 갈게요 — I'll be right there. 금방 can also mean "a moment ago" in casual speech (금방 끝났어요 — it finished just now), so read it from context. They look alike and sound alike, so say each one out loud with its own example sentence until the difference sticks.

Can 아까 mean "yesterday" or "a long time ago"?

No. 아까 only reaches back within today — a few minutes to a few hours. For yesterday say 어제, for a while back say 예전에. Using 아까 for last week sounds plainly wrong to a Korean ear, the way "I did it earlier today" would if you meant last month.

Practice

Fill in the most natural word. Answers are hidden below.

1. It's noon; you're meeting a friend at seven tonight. "See you later" → ______ 봐요.
2. You walked in two seconds ago. "I just got here." → ______ 도착했어요.
3. A coworker asks if you've had lunch. You haven't. → ______ 안 먹었어요.
4. The movie ended far sooner than you expected. "It's over already?" → ______ 끝났어요?
5. Someone asks you to wait. You want to say you'll be done in no time. → ______ 끝나요.