Learning to count in Korean is an essential skill for anyone interested in the language, whether for travel, business, or cultural understanding. Korean uses two main number systems: the native Korean system and the Sino-Korean system, derived from Chinese. Understanding when and how to use each system can be a bit tricky, so let’s break it down and learn the basics.
하나 (hana) – one in native Korean.
저는 하나의 사과를 샀어요.
This means “I bought one apple.”
둘 (dul) – two in native Korean.
우리는 둘 다 같은 학교에 다녀요.
This translates to “We both go to the same school.”
셋 (set) – three in native Korean.
그녀는 셋의 책을 가지고 있어요.
This means “She has three books.”
넷 (net) – four in native Korean.
넷이서 영화를 보러 갔어요.
This translates to “Four of us went to see a movie.”
다섯 (daseot) – five in native Korean.
다섯 개의 사과를 먹었어요.
This means “I ate five apples.”
여섯 (yeoseot) – six in native Korean.
여섯 시에 만나기로 했어요.
This translates to “We agreed to meet at six o’clock.”
일곱 (ilgop) – seven in native Korean.
일곱 명의 친구들이 왔어요.
This means “Seven friends came.”
여덟 (yeodeol) – eight in native Korean.
여덟 개의 의자가 필요해요.
This translates to “I need eight chairs.”
아홉 (ahop) – nine in native Korean.
아홉 페이지를 읽어야 해요.
This means “I need to read nine pages.”
열 (yeol) – ten in native Korean.
열 명이 파티에 초대되었어요.
This translates to “Ten people were invited to the party.”
For numbers greater than ten, Korean typically switches to the Sino-Korean system. This system is also used for dates, money, addresses, phone numbers, and minutes and seconds.
십일 (sibil) – eleven in Sino-Korean.
저는 십일 월에 태어났어요.
This means “I was born in November.”
이십 (isip) – twenty in Sino-Korean.
이십 분 후에 다시 만나요.
This translates to “Let’s meet again in twenty minutes.”
삼십 (samsip) – thirty in Sino-Korean.
삼십 미터 앞에 공원이 있어요.
This means “There is a park thirty meters ahead.”
사십 (sasip) – forty in Sino-Korean.
그는 사십 살입니다.
This translates to “He is forty years old.”
오십 (osip) – fifty in Sino-Korean.
저희 집은 오십 평입니다.
This means “Our house is fifty pyeong (a Korean unit of area).”
육십 (yuksip) – sixty in Sino-Korean.
육십 초 안에 답해 주세요.
This translates to “Please answer within sixty seconds.”
칠십 (chilsip) – seventy in Sino-Korean.
할머니께서 칠십 세이세요.
This means “My grandmother is seventy years old.”
팔십 (palsip) – eighty in Sino-Korean.
그 책은 팔십 페이지입니다.
This translates to “That book is eighty pages long.”
구십 (gusip) – ninety in Sino-Korean.
오늘은 구십 퍼센트 할인해요.
This means “Today there is a ninety percent discount.”
백 (baek) – one hundred in Sino-Korean.
백 개의 별을 볼 수 있어요.
This translates to “You can see one hundred stars.”
When counting in Korean, it’s important to know which system to use. For general counting, the native Korean system is typically used for numbers one through ten. For numbers larger than ten, counting money, telling time, dates, and many other practical uses, the Sino-Korean system is used. As you continue to learn Korean, you’ll get a better sense of when and how to apply each system appropriately. This dual system can seem daunting at first, but with practice, you’ll find it becomes second nature.
