Korean Numerals

01

Native Korean Numbers (1-99)

This system is primarily used for numbers between 1 and 99. It is used to count items (one apple, two sheets of paper) and to express age.

Here are the first ten numbers:

• 하나 (ha·na) - one
• 둘 (tuldultultul) - two
• 셋 (setsetsetseyt) - three
• 넷 (netnetnetneyt) - four
• 다섯 (ta·sŏtda·seotta·sŏtta·set) - five
• 여섯 (yŏ·sŏtyeo·seotyŏ·sŏtye·set) - six
• 일곱 (il·gopil·gopil·gopil·kop) - seven
• 여덟 (yŏ·dŏlyeo·deolyŏ·dŏlye·tel) - eight
• 아홉 (a·hop) - nine
• 열 (yŏlyeolyŏlyel) - ten

To form numbers between 11 and 19, you simply combine 10 열 (yŏlyeolyŏlyel) with the single digit.

• 열하나

  yŏl·ha·nayeol·ha·nayŏl·ha·nayel·ha·na

  eleven (10+1)

• 열다섯

  yŏl·da·sŏtyeol·da·seotyŏl·da·sŏtyel·ta·set

  fifteen (10+5)

For multiples of ten, there are specific words you must memorize. Note that Native numbers generally stop being used commonly after 60 or 70 in daily speech, but they exist up to 99.

• 스물 (sŭ·mulseu·mulsŭ·mulsu·mul) - twenty
• 서른 (sŏ·rŭnseo·reunsŏ·rŭnse·lun) - thirty
• 마흔 (ma·hŭnma·heunma·hŭnma·hun) - forty
• 쉰 (swinswinshwisuin) - fifty
• 예순 (ye·sunye·sunye·sunyey·sun) - sixty
• 일흔 (il·hŭnil·heunil·hŭnil·hun) - seventy
• 여든 (yŏ·dŭnyeo·deunyŏ·dŭnye·tun) - eighty
• 아흔 (a·hŭna·heuna·hŭna·hun) - ninety

02

The Shortened Forms (1, 2, 3, 4, and 20)

When Native Korean numbers are combined with a counter (a word used to count specific items, like "cups", "people", or "items"), the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 20 change their shape. The final vowel or consonant is dropped.

• 하나 (ha·na) becomes 한 (han) (han)
• 둘 (tuldultultul) becomes 두 (dududutu) (tu)
• 셋 (setsetsetseyt) becomes 세 (sesesesey) (se)
• 넷 (netnetnetneyt) becomes 네 (neneneney) (ne)
• 스물 (sŭ·mulseu·mulsŭ·mulsu·mul) becomes 스무 (sŭ·museu·musŭ·musu·mu) (sŭ·mu)

• 사과 한 개

  sa·gwa han gæsa·gwa han gaesa·gwa han gaesa·kwa han kay

  one apple (one item of apple)

• 학생 두 명

  hak·sæng tu myŏnghak·saeng du myeonghak·saeng tu myŏnghak·sayng tu myeng

  two students

• 스무 살

  sŭ·mu salseu·mu salsŭ·mu salsu·mu sal

  twenty years old

03

Sino-Korean Numbers

These numbers are derived from Chinese characters. They are easier to learn because they follow a strict mathematical pattern. They are used for money, phone numbers, dates, minutes/seconds, and measurements (kilometers, grams).

• 일 (il) - one
• 이 (i) - two
• 삼 (sam) - three
• 사 (sa) - four
• 오 (o) - five
• 육 (yuk) - six
• 칠 (chʰilchilch'ilchil) - seven
• 팔 (pʰalpalp'alphal) - eight
• 구 (kugukuku) - nine
• 십 (sip) - ten

To create larger numbers, you list the multiplier before the unit. For example, 20 is "two-ten" 이십 (i·sip), and 30 is "three-ten" 삼십 (sam·sip).

• 이십

  i·sip

  twenty

• 삼십오

  sam·sip·o

  thirty-five (3-10-5)

• 구십구

  ku·sip·kugu·sip·guku·sip·kuku·sip·ku

  ninety-nine (9-10-9)

04

Numbers 100 and Above

Once you reach 100, the Native Korean system is rarely used. You will almost exclusively use Sino-Korean numbers for values of 100 or higher, even when counting things that usually require Native numbers.

• 백 (bækbaekbaekpayk) - 100
• 천 (chʰŏncheonch'ŏnchen) - 1,000
• 만 (man) - 10,000

• 백 원

  bæk wŏnbaek wŏnbaek wŏnpayk wŏn

  100 won

• 삼천 명

  sam·chʰŏn myŏngsam·cheon myeongsam·ch'ŏn myŏngsam·chen myeng

  3,000 people

05

Telling Time: A Hybrid System

Telling time is one of the few instances where both systems are used in the same sentence. The hour uses Native Korean numbers, while the minute uses Sino-Korean numbers.

• Hour: Native Number + 시 (si)
• Minute: Sino-Korean Number + 분 (bunbunbunpun)

• 다섯 시

  ta·sŏt sida·seot sita·sŏt sita·set si

  5 o'clock

• 오 분

  o buno buno buno pun

  5 minutes

• 다섯 시 오 분

  ta·sŏt si o bunda·seot si o bunta·sŏt si o bunta·set si o pun

  5:05 (five o'clock five minutes)

06

Zero

There are two ways to say zero, both of which are Sino-Korean.

• 영 (yŏngyeongyŏngyeng): Used in mathematics, temperature, and for the concept of "zero".
• 공 (gonggonggongkong): Used primarily when reading phone numbers.

• 영 도

  yŏng doyeong doyŏng doyeng to

  zero degrees

• 공일공

  gong·il·gonggong·il·gonggong·il·gongkong·il·kong

  010 (standard mobile prefix)