Dictionary — Entry No. 0660
오늘 밤
oneul-bam · noun
오늘 밤
oneul-bam
[oh-NEUL bahm]
nounbeginner
Meaning
Literally ‘today’s night,’ meaning ‘tonight.’ Used as a time reference in both everyday speech and poetic contexts, it often carries a sense of urgency, fleeting romance, or emotional significance — the feeling that this particular night matters.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
BIGBANG’s 2011 anthem ‘Tonight’ (오늘 밤) uses the phrase to capture the bittersweet beauty of a night that feels precious and temporary all at once. In ‘Crash Landing on You’ (사랑의 불시착, 2019), Ri Jeong-hyeok tells Se-ri ‘오늘 밤은 제가 지킬게요’ (I will protect you tonight) under North Korean skies — a line fans quote as one of the most romantic in K-drama history.
Example Sentences
오늘 밤 같이 영화 볼래?
Oneul bam gachi yeonghwa bolae?
Want to watch a movie together tonight? (casual invitation between friends or a couple; 같이 = together, adds warmth)
오늘 밤은 유난히 별이 많네요.
Oneul bameun yunani byeori manne yo.
There are unusually many stars tonight. (the particle 은 adds a contrastive, poetic nuance — this night is special compared to others)
오늘 밤 꼭 연락해. 기다릴게.
Oneul bam kkok yeollakhae. Gidariilge.
Make sure to contact me tonight. I’ll be waiting. (꼭 = definitely/for sure; 기다릴게 = I’ll wait — earnest and slightly vulnerable)
⚠️ Don’t use oneul-bam when…
Mistake 1: Confusing 오늘 밤 (tonight) with 내일 밤 (tomorrow night) or 어젯밤 (last night) — the shared 밤 ending trips up beginners, so anchor each phrase to 오늘/내일/어제. Mistake 2: Writing 오늘밤 as one word is common in casual texting but technically two words; both are widely accepted, so do not worry either way.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착, 2019) — Ri Jeong-hyeok’s promise ‘오늘 밤은 제가 지킬게요’ became one of the most quoted lines of the entire Korean Wave era.
- K-Pop: BIGBANG — Tonight (오늘 밤)
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.