Learning numbers in Korean doesn't require hard fast skills or experience. You can learn them in a span of 30 minutes.
Knowing how to read and pronounce Korean alphabets is only required for you to master the Korean numbers.
Unlike the English language there are two sets of numbers called Sino-Korean or Native Korean. They're not used interchangeably in fact they have separate cases or conditions when they are used.
- Sino Korean numbers are used with things like dates, money, minutes, addresses, phone numbers, and numbers above 100.
- Native Korean numbers are used for general counting, like when you're counting out loud, up to 99. It's also used to count people, hours, things, ages, and more.
Sino-Korean Numbers
Numbers | SINO KOREAN NUMBERS | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
1 | 일 | Il |
2 | 이 | I |
3 | 삼 | Sam |
4 | 사 | Sa |
5 | 오 | O |
6 | 육 | Yuk |
7 | 칠 | Chil |
8 | 팔 | Pal |
9 | 구 | Gu |
10 | 십 | Sib |
For numbers 11-19 could be interpreted as 10+1, 10+2 so on and so forth.
Numbers | SINO KOREAN NUMBERS | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
11 | 십일 | Sib-il |
12 | 십이 | Sib-i |
13 | 십삼 | Sib-sam |
14 | 십사 | Sib-sa |
15 | 십오 | Sib-o |
16 | 십육 | Sib-yuk |
17 | 십칠 | Sib-chil |
18 | 십팔 | Sib-pal |
19 | 십구 | Sib-gu |
20 | 이십 | I-sib |
For 20 it could be interpreted as 2 times 10.
20 - 이십 (I-sib)
Rest 21-29 could be interpreted as 2x10+1
21 - 이십일 (I-sib il)
22 - 이십이 (I-sib i)
And so on….
For numbers from 30-39 Which could be interpreted as 3x10+1
31 - 삼십일 (Sam-sib il)
32 - 삼십이 (Sam-sib i)
33 - 삼십삼 (Sam-sib sam)
And so on...
40 - 사십 (Sa-sib)
50 - 오십 (O-sib)
60 - 육십 (Yuk-sib)
70 - 칠십 (Chil-sib)
80 - 팔십 (Pal-sib)
90 - 구십 (Gu-sib)
Here we see the difference where 100 is called 백 (Baek)
Native Korean Numbers
Unlike Sino Korean words there's no pattern to easily remember the native Korean numbers.
Numbers | NATIVE Korean NUMBERS | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
1 | 하나 | Hana |
2 | 둘 | Dul |
3 | 셋 | Set |
4 | 넷 | Net |
5 | 다섯 | Da-seot |
6 | 여섯 | Yeo-seot |
7 | 일곱 | Il-gop |
8 | 여덟 | Yeo-dol |
9 | 아홉 | A-hop |
10 | 열 | Yeo-l |
For numbers from 11-19 the numbers would be interpreted as 열 + 하나, 열둘, 열셋
Numbers | NATIVE Korean NUMBERS | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
11 | 열 하나 | Yeol-hana |
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 | 열여덟 | Yeol-yeo-dol |
19 | 열아홉 | Yeol-a-hop |
20 | 스물 | Seu-mul |
For 20 in Native Korean we say 스물 (Seu-mul)
For numbers from 21-29 it could be interpreted as 스물 + 하나
Numbers | NATIVE Korean NUMBERS | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
21 | 스물 하나 | Seu-mul-hana |
22 | 스물 둘 | Seu-mul-dul |
23 | 스물 셋 | Seu-mul-set |
24 | 스물 넷 | Seu-mul-net |
25 | 스물다섯 | Seu-mul-da-seot |
26 | 스물여섯 | Seu-mul-yeo-seot |
27 | 스물일곱 | Seu-mul-il-gop |
28 | 스물여덟 | Seu-mul-yeo-dol |
29 | 스물아홉 | Seu-mul-a-hop |
30 | 서른 | Seo-reun |
40 | 마흔 | Ma-heun |
50 | 쉰 | Swin |
60 | 예순하나 | Yae-sun-hana |
70 | 일흔 | Il-heun |
80 | 여든 | Yeo-deun |
90 | 아흔 | A-heun |
100 | 백 | Baek |
1,000 | 천 | Cheon |
10,000 | 만 | Ma-n |
100,000 | 십만 | Sib-ma-n |
1,000,000 | 백만 | Baek-ma-n |
10,000,000 | 천만 | Cheon-ma-n |
100,000,000 | 일억 | Il-eok |
1,000,000,000 | 십억 | Sib-eok |
1,000,000,000,000 | 일조 | Il-jo |
Usage of Korean numbers with ordinal numbers
The counter for ordinal numbers is 번째 (beonjjae)
We use Native Korean numbers when using ordinal numbers like “first,” “second,” and “third.”
First, second, third and fourth use the Native Korean words but drop the bottom Hangul character.
“First” changes from 한(han) to 첫(cheot) and adds the counter 번째 (beonjjae).
- So “first'' in Korean is 첫번째 (cheot-beonjjae)
- 둘 becomes 두번째 (Du-beonjjae)
- 셋 Becomes 세번째 (Se-beonjjae)
- 넷 Becomes 네번째 (Ne-beonjjae)
After four the rest of the numbers will be as usual and added 번째 (beonjjae) to the end. So “fifth'' would be 다섯번째.
Using Korean numbers to denote time
Sino-Korean numbers are used to denote the number of days. The counter for days is 일
- 일일 - 1 Day (Ir-il)
- 이일 - 2 day (I-il)
- 삼일 - 3 day (Sam-il)
- 사일 - 4 day (Sa-il)
We use Sino-Korean numbers for weeks as well.
The counter for week is 주
- 일주 - 1 week (Il-ju)
- 이주 - 2 week (I-ju)
- 삼주 - 3 week (Sam-ju)
That’s because the months are just the Sino Korean number + the word for month, which is 월 (wol). Lets take a look:
- January: 일월 (irwol)
- February: 이월 (iwol)
- March: 섬월 (samwol)
- April: 서월 (sawol)
- May: 오월 (owol)
- June: 유월 (yuwol)
- July: 칠월 (chirwol)
- August: 팔월 (parwol)
- September: 구시월 (guwol)
- October: 시월 (siwol)
- November: 십일월 (sibirwol)
- December: 십이월 (sibiwol)
Counter for year is 년
일년 (Il-nyeon) - First year
이년 (I-nyeon) - Second year
For saying specific years you can just use 년 after the year.
Eg : 2021년
To say the day, August 15th, 2020 : 2020년 8월 15일.
Using Korean numbers with common counters.
In Korean, 개 (gae) is the most common and general counter to use for non living things.
Here are a few other common counters:
- For people-명 (myeong)
- For animals-마리 (mari)
- For books-권 (gwan)
- For cars, vehicles, and machinery-대 (Dae)
- For age-살 (Sal)
- For paper-장 (Jang)
- For slices-조각 (Jugak)
- For time/hours-시 (Si)
So how do you use these counters?
- 한 마리 (Han mari) - 1 animal
- 두개 (Du gae) - 2 things
- 스물 살 (Seu-mul sal) - 20 years old
- 여덟 시 (Yeo-dol si) - 8 o’clock
Here are some words to know:
- Math - 수학 (Suhak)
- Plus - 더하기 (Deohagi)
- Minus - 빼기 (Ppaegi)
- Multiply - 곱하기 (Gopagi)
- Divide - 나누기 (Nanugi)
- Point - 소수점 (Sosujeom)
- Half - 반 (Ban)
- Equals - 와 같다 (Wa gat-da)
- Total - 총액 (Chongaek)
To understand TOPIK Test structure, application process, Levels and Passing scores etc. check these pages:
- TOPIK – The Complete Guide & 2. TOPIK Levels and Passing Marks. You can also Practice Online with TOPIK GUIDE Mock Tests.
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If you have any suggestions or questions. Comment down below.
Hello, I work as an intern interpreter at a korean company, and have to interpret at the meetings. Contents are full of expenses, where I have to translate high numbers of money from and to korean language. Do you have any tip how to quickly convert from korean to english or the other way around. For example, 73 million 89 thousand won, 5670000 won and etc.