jigeum myeot siinji mollayo.

I don’t know what time it is now.

Breakdown of jigeum myeot siinji mollayo.

• 지금: now
• 모르다: to not know
• 시: hour
• 몇: how many
• ~인지: indirect question marker

Questions & Answers about jigeum myeot siinji mollayo.

What does the suffix -인지 mean in 몇 시인지 몰라요 and why do we need it?

-인지 here turns 몇 시 (“what time”) into an indirect question clause, serving as the object of 모르다 (“to not know”).

• In English this is like “I don’t know what time (it is).”
• Korean verbs of knowing/feeling (알다·모르다·궁금하다·확신하다 등) require a noun clause before them.
• Without -인지, 몇 시 is just a bare question word, not a clause.

Why can’t I just say 몇 시 몰라요 without -인지?

Because 모르다 needs a full clause (a noun phrase) as its object, not a standalone question word.

• 몇 시 alone is incomplete.
• 몇 시인지 is that complete clause: “what time it is.”
• Omitting -인지 makes the sentence ungrammatical.

What’s the difference between 시 and 시간 when talking about time?

They serve different roles:

• 시 is used for clock time (“o’clock,” e.g. 3시 = “3 o’clock”).
• 시간 means “a length/duration of time” (e.g. 한 시간 = “one hour” duration).
  Since you’re asking for the current clock time, you use 몇 시.

How does 모르다 become 몰라요? Why does the “르” change?

모르다 is a 르-irregular verb. In the polite present tense:

1. Drop 르 from the stem (모르 → 모).
2. Double the preceding consonant ㄹ.
3. Add -아요 → 몰라요.
   So 모르다 + -아요 → 몰라요.

Can I replace 몰라요 with 모르겠어요? What’s the nuance difference?

Yes, you can say 지금 몇 시인지 모르겠어요.

• 몰라요 is simply “I don’t know.”
• 모르겠어요 adds a shade of “I’m not sure / I don’t think I know.”
  The second is slightly more tentative or polite.

How can I make 지금 몇 시인지 몰라요 more formal or more casual?

You can adjust formality by changing the verb ending:

• Formal/Standard: 지금 몇 시인지 모릅니다 or 지금 몇 시인지 잘 모르겠습니다
• Casual/Infimiliar: 지금 몇 시인지 몰라
• Direct question version (if you want to ask instead of state): 지금 몇 시예요?

What’s the role of 지금 in this sentence? Can I move or omit it?

지금 means “now,” indicating the current moment.

• Position: It’s an adverb and can go at the beginning or before the verb:
  
  • 지금 몇 시인지 몰라요
  • 몇 시인지 지금 몰라요
• Omission: If the context is clear, you can simply say 몇 시인지 몰라요.

Why do we use 몇 with 시 (몇 시) and not 얼마나 or 얼마?

• 몇 is used with counters for asking “how many/how much” of a countable category, here hours on the clock.
• 얼마 is used for price or quantity in a general sense (“how much?”), and 얼마나 for “how much/how long.”
  Since hours on the clock are a discrete counter (시), you pair them with 몇.

Could I use -는지 instead of -인지, like 몇 시는지 몰라요?

No—-는지 is for verb or adjective clauses in the present tense (e.g. 어디에 사는지).
Since 몇 시 is a noun phrase (a counter + noun), you use -인지 to form the indirect question.