jigeum jeomsim sigani dwaeyo.

Now it’s lunchtime.

Breakdown of jigeum jeomsim sigani dwaeyo.

• ~이: subject particle
• 지금: now
• 시간: time
• 점심: lunch
• 되다: to become

Questions & Answers about jigeum jeomsim sigani dwaeyo.

What is the role of 지금 in this sentence?

지금 is an adverb meaning now. It sets the time frame for the statement and is placed at the beginning to emphasize that right now it’s lunchtime.

Why is 시간 followed by the particle 이?

In Korean grammar, 시간 (time) is the subject of the clause 시간이 돼요, so it takes the subject marker 이. This marks time as what’s becoming.

What does 되다 mean in 시간이 돼요, and why is it used here?

Here 되다 functions in the idiom 시간이 되다, which literally means “to become time for…” In other words, 점심 시간이 돼요 is “it becomes lunch time,” i.e. “it’s lunchtime.”

Why is it 돼요 instead of 되어요?

The underlying form is 되다 + -어요 → 되어요, but by regular contraction of ㅓ + ㅣ it shortens to 돼요, which is the standard spoken and written form.

What level of politeness does 돼요 convey?

돼요 is the polite informal (존댓말) present tense. It’s courteous but not overly formal—ideal for everyday conversation.

Could we say 점심 먹을 시간이에요 instead? How would that differ?

Yes. 점심 먹을 시간이에요 literally means “it’s the time to eat lunch,” focusing on the eating action. 점심 시간이 돼요 is more general, simply announcing that it is now lunchtime.

What’s the difference between saying 지금 점심 시간이 돼요 and 지금 점심 시간이 됐어요?

돼요 is present tense, stating the current condition (“it’s now lunchtime”). 됐어요 is past tense, emphasizing that the moment it became lunchtime has just occurred (“it has just become lunchtime”). Both are correct, but 돼요 is more neutral for everyday use.