There are two numbering systems used to count  things in Korean. There are Native Korean numbers and Sino-Korean numbers. Today we will talk about Native Korean numbers.

Numbers (1-90)

For numbers over 10, just add 1-9 to the end of the number. For example 29 is 스물아홉 (seu-mul a-hop).

0: 공/영  (gong / yeong)
1: 하나  (ha-na) *
2: 둘  (dul) *
3: 셋  (set) *
4: 넷  (net) *
5: 다섯  (da-seot)
6: 여섯  (yeo-seot)
7: 일곱  (il-gop)
8: 여닯  (yeo-dal)
9: 아홉  (a-hop)
10: 열  (yeol)
11: 열하나  (yeol-ha-na)
12: 열둘  (yeol-dul)
13: 열셋  (yeol-set)
14: 열넷  (yeol-net)
15: 열다섯  (yeol-da-seot)
16: 열여섯  (yeol-yeo-seot)
17: 열일곱  (yeol-il-gop)
18: 열여닯  (yeol-yeo-dal)
19: 열아홉  (yeol-ah-hop)
20: 스물  (seu-mul)
30: 서른  (seo-reun)
40: 마흔  (ma-heun)
50: 쉰  (swin)
60: 예순  (ye-sun)
70: 일흔  (il-heun)
80: 여든  (yeo-deun)
90: 아흔  (a-heun)

Numbers (100-1,000,000,000,000)

After 100, the numbering system switches over to the Sino Korean numbering system.

100: 백  (baek)
200: 이백  (i-baek)
300: 삼백  (sam-baek)
400: 사백  (sa-baek)
500: 오백  (o-baek)
600: 욕백  (yuk-baek)
700: 칠백  (chil-baek)
800: 팔백  (pal-baek)
900: 구백  (gu-baek)
1,000: 천  (cheon)
2,000: 이천 (i-cheon)
3,000: 삼천 (sam-cheon)
4,000: 사천  (sa-cheon)
5,000: 오천  (o-cheon)
6,000: 욕천  (yuk-cheon)
7,000: 칠천  (chil-cheon)
8,000: 팔천  (pal-cheon)
9,000: 구천  (gu-cheon)
10,000: 만  (man)
20,000: 이만 (i-man)
30,000: 삼만 (sam-man)
40,000: 사만  (sa-man)
50,000: 오만  (o-man)
60,000: 욕만  (yuk-man)
70,000: 칠만  (chil-man)
80,000: 팔만  (pal-man)
90,000: 구만  (gu-man)
100,000: 만  (sip-man)
1,000,000: 이만 (baek-man)
10,000,000: 삼만 (cheon-man)
100,000,000: 사만  (eok)
1,000,000,000,000: 만  (jo)

Larger numbers are divided in units of 10,000. Which in my mind, means I need even more math to count 😭

 

* When the numbers 하나, 둘, 셋, and 넷 are used with counters, they change into 한 (han), 두 (du), 세 (se), 네 (ne). For example:

 

쓰레기 봉투
(sseu-re-gi bong-tu se gae)
three trash bags

커피
(keo-pi du jan)
two cups of coffee

Native Korean numbers are used for:

 

counting objects

연필 다섯 
(yeon-pil da-seot gae)
five pencils

 

people

여섯 명*
(yeo-seot myeong)
six people

*You would 분 use instead of in the honorific form.

age

할머니는 아흔여닯 살이세요. 
(hal-meo-ni-neun a-heun-yeo-dal sal-i-se-yo)
Grandma is 98 years old.

 

 

the hour in time

열한 시 오십구 분이에요.
(yeol-han-si o-sib-gu bun-i-e-yo)
It is 11:59.

 

 

duration of hours

그 아이들은 시간 동안 텔레비전을 봤어요.
(geu a-i-deul-eun han si-gan dong-an tel-le-bi-jeon-eul bwa-sseo-yo)
The kids watched television for one hour.

 

 

duration of months

그는 세 달 세계 일주를 여행했어요.*
(geu-neun se dal se-gye il-ju-reul yeo-hang-hae-sseo-yo)
He traveled around the world for 3 months.
*This can also be expressed with Sino-Korean numbers. Instead of 달 it would be described as 삼 개월.

 

 

animals

개가 여닯 마리 있어요.
(gae-ga yeo-dal ma-ri i-seo-yo)
There are 8 dogs.

 

 

academic subjects

저는 오늘 세 과묵이 있어요. 저는 역사 화학 수학 수업이 있어요.
(jeo-neun o-neul se gwa-mok-i i-sseo-yo. jeo-neun yeok-sa hwa-hak su-hak su-eob-i i-sseo-yo.)
I have three subjects today. I have History, Chemistry, and Math classes.

 

 

volumes

도서관에는 수백 관의 책이 있어요.
(do-seo-gwan-e-neun su-baek gwan-ui chae-gi i-sseo-yo)
There are hundreds of volumes of books in the library.

 

 

sheets of paper

종이 
(jong-i yeol-du jang)
twelve sheets of paper

 

 

bottles

다섯 병. 
(da-seot byeong)
five bottles

cups and glasses

다섯
(da-seot jan)
five glasses

 

 

times (instances)

그녀는 오늘 그 노래를 스물 다섯 번  들었어요.
(geu-nyeo-nun o-neul geu no-rae-reul seu-mul da-seot beon deu-leo-sseo-yo)
She listened to the song 25 times today.

 

vehicles

주차장에 차가 네 대 있어요.
(ju-cha-jang-e cha-ga ne dae i-sseo-yo)
There are four cars in the parking lot.

 

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are just like Native Korean numbers with a little extra something on the end. So if you want to tell the position of something on a list (like first, second, third, fourth, and so on), you will use the ordinal numbers as such below:

1: 첫 뻔째  (cheot-bban-jjae) 
2: 둘 뻔째  (dul-bban-jjae) 
3: 셋 뻔째 (set-bban-jjae) 
4: 넷 뻔째 (net-bban-jjae) 
5: 다섯 뻔째 (da-seot-bban-jjae)
6: 여섯 뻔째 (yeo-seot-bban-jjae)
7: 일곱 뻔째 (il-gop-bban-jjae)
8: 여닯 뻔째 (yeo-dal-bban-jjae)
9: 아홉 뻔째 (a-hop-bban-jjae)
10: 열 뻔째 (yeol-bban-jjae)
11: 열하나 뻔째 (yeol-ha-na-bban-jjae)
12: 열둘 뻔째 (yeol-dul-bban-jjae)
13: 열셋 뻔째 (yeol-set-bban-jjae)
14: 열넷 뻔째 (yeol-net-bban-jjae)

15: 열다섯 뻔째 (yeol-da-seot-bban-jjae)
16
: 열여섯 뻔째 (yeol-yeo-seot-bban-jjae)
17: 열일곱 뻔째 (yeol-il-gop-bban-jjae)
18: 열여닯 뻔째 (yeol-yeo-dal-bban-jjae)
19: 열아홉 뻔째 (yeol-ah-hop-bban-jjae)
20: 스물 뻔째 (seu-mul-bban-jjae)
30: 서른 뻔째 (seo-reun-bban-jjae)
40: 마흔 뻔째 (ma-heun-bban-jjae)
50: 쉰 뻔째 (swin-bban-jjae)
60: 예순 뻔째 (ye-sun-bban-jjae)
70: 일흔 뻔째 (il-heun-bban-jjae)
80: 여든 뻔째 (yeo-deun-bban-jjae)
90: 아흔 뻔째 (a-heun-bban-jjae)
100: 백 뻔째 (a-heun-bban-jjae)

So that’s it for native numbers and ordinal numbers! I don’t know about y’all, but that’s enough numbers for me for now!

Post a Comment

You don't have permission to register