7. Numbers and counting in Korean

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In chapter 7 of this basic Korean course, we'll delve into the world of numbers and counting in Korean. The Korean number system is fascinating but can be a bit complex for beginners as there are two different counting systems: the Sino-Korean system and the native Korean system. Both are regularly used in different contexts.

Sino-Korean System

The Sino-Korean system is based on the Chinese number system and is mainly used for dates, money, phone numbers, addresses, bus numbers and meters. Here are the numbers from 0 to 10 in the Sino-Korean system:

• 0 - 영 (yeong)
• 1 - 일 (il)
• 2 - 이 (i)
• 3 - 삼 (sam)
• 4 - 사 (sa)
• 5 - 오 (o)
• 6 - 육 (yuk)
• 7 - 칠 (chill)
• 8 - 팔 (pal)
• 9 - 구 (gu)
• 10 - 십 (ship)

To form larger numbers, you combine these numbers. For example, 11 would be 십일 (ship il), 20 would be 이십 (i ship), and so on. For numbers from 100 to 1,000,000, we have:

• 100 - 백 (baek)
• 1,000 - 천 (cheon)
• 10,000 - 만 (man)
• 100,000 - 십만 (ship man)
• 1,000,000 - 백만 (baek man)

Korean Native System

The native Korean system is used to count items, people and animals, as well as to indicate age and time. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Korean native system:

• 1 - 하나 (hana)
• 2 - 둘 (dul)
• 3 - 셋 (set)
• 4 - 넷 (net)
• 5 - 다섯 (daseot)
• 6 - 여섯 (yeoseot)
• 7 - 일곱 (ilgop)
• 8 - 여덟 (yeodeolp)
• 9 - 아홉 (ahop)
• 10 - 열 (yeol)

To form larger numbers, you combine these numbers. For example, 11 would be 열하나 (yeol hana), 20 would be 스물 (yourmul), and so on. However, the Korean native system only goes up to 99.

Korean counting

Depending on what you are counting, you should use a suitable counter. For example, to count things in general, you can use 개 (gae). To count people, use 명 (myeong) or 분 (bun) respectfully. To count animals, use 마리 (mari). And to count books, use 권 (gweon).

For example, to say "two books", you would say 두 권 (du gweon) using the native Korean system and the book counter. To say "five people", you would say 다섯 명 (daseot myeong) or 다섯 분 (daseot bun) respectfully.

In short, counting in Korean can seem tricky at first, but with practice and patience, you'll get the hang of it. Remember, the key is understanding when to use each number system and practicing counting in different contexts. I hope this chapter helped you to better understand numbers and counting in Korean. Keep studying and practicing, and you'll see improvements in no time!

Next page of the Free Ebook:

238. Days of the week and months in Korean