Korean word

자정

Pronunciation

Romanizationchajeong

Meaning

  • nounmidnight

Example

알람을 자정에 맞춰놨어요.al la meul cha jeong e mat chwo nwa sseo yo

I set the alarm for midnight.

Illustration for 자정 (midnight)

More examples

친구가 자정쯤 도착할 거예요.chin gu ga cha jeong jjeum to cha kal kkeo ye yo

My friend will arrive around midnight.

Core concept

A clock's zero point where the old date ends and the new date begins.

Common phrases

  • 자정에cha jeong e

    at midnight

  • 자정까지cha jeong kka ji

    until midnight

  • 자정쯤cha jeong jjeum

    around midnight

Similar words

밤 12시pam 12si: The night-time clock reading of twelve o'clock, marking the start of a new day.
자정 무렵chajeong muryeop: The period around midnight when the date is about to change or has just changed.
한밤중hanbamjung: The very late middle of the night, when most people are asleep.
심야simya: The late-night period extending toward the early morning, often used in formal notices.

Definition in Korean

한 날짜가 끝나고 다음 날짜가 시작되는 시각, 즉 0시를 가리키는 명사.han nal jja ga kkeun na go ta eum nal jja ga si jak ttoe neun si gak cheuk 0 si reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa

Word origin

It is a Sino-Korean formation that combines the traditional midnight hour with the idea of its central or exact point.

Usage tips

  • When a business or transport schedule uses this word, checking the stated date prevents confusion about which night's midnight is intended.

Opposites

Related words

  • 자정녘chajeongnyeokaround midnightnoun

Word lists with this word