Korean Dictionary
How to say "Decade" in Korean
“Decade” in Korean is 십년 (pronounced "sipnyeon").
십년
sipnyeon
Usage & Context
The word for decade, a period of 10 years. This is commonly used in historical references and time periods.
Example Sentence
1990년대는 좋았어요.
The 1990s were good.
How to use 십년 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Decade” is 십년, romanized as sipnyeon.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 십년.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'sheem-nyuhn' — the 'p' at the end of 십 softens before ㄴ and becomes 'm,' so it sounds like 'shim' plus 'nyuhn.' Flow them together as one word.
More Example Sentences
reflecting on how much time has passed
십년이면 강산도 변한다.
In a decade, even the mountains and rivers change. (proverb)
a friendship anniversary
우리 만난 지 벌써 십 년이 됐네요.
It's already been ten years since we met.
discussing music history with a friend
90년대는 한국 가요의 황금기였어요.
The 90s were the golden age of Korean pop music.
Cultural Context
십년 (ten years) carries more weight in Korean than plain 'a decade' — it's baked into the proverb 십년이면 강산도 변한다 ('in ten years even mountains and rivers change'), used constantly when people reminisce. For specific decades like '1990s' or '2000s,' Koreans usually say 90년대 or 2000년대 instead of 십년. You'll also hear it in 십년지기 (a friend of ten-plus years), a badge of closeness, and 십년 묵은 체증이 내려가다 (a ten-year-old burden has lifted), meaning huge relief.
Editorial note
We review entries like 십년 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
십 년 만이에요.
It's been ten years.
90년대생이에요.
I was born in the 90s.
십년이면 강산도 변한다.
In a decade, even the landscape changes.
Related Expressions
년대
nyeondae
era / -s (as in the 90s)
세기
segi
century
십년지기
simnyeon-jigi
a friend of over ten years
강산
gangsan
rivers and mountains (figurative: landscape)
More Numbers and Time Words
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