Korean numbers

Korean has native numbers like 하나 (hana), 둘 (dul), 셋 (set) and Sino-Korean numbers like 일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam). Native numbers are used for counting things and people, age and the hour on a clock. Sino-Korean numbers are used for dates, minutes, money, phone numbers and floors. Learning them by use case makes it easier.

They are 하나 (hana), 둘 (dul), 셋 (set), 넷 (net), 다섯 (daseot), 여섯 (yeoseot), 일곱 (ilgop), 여덟 (yeodeol), 아홉 (ahop) and 열 (yeol). They're used for counting objects, as in 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae, "three apples"). Some change shape before a counter word. Saying them with a rhythm helps you memorize them.

They are 일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam), 사 (sa), 오 (o), 육 (yuk), 칠 (chil), 팔 (pal), 구 (gu) and 십 (sip). Bigger numbers are built logically: 11 is 십일 (sibil), 20 is 이십 (isip) and 35 is 삼십오 (samsibo). They're used for dates, prices, phone numbers and bus numbers.

Before a counter word like 개 (gae, items) or 명 (myeong, people), the native numbers 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 and 스물 shorten to 한, 두, 세, 네 and 스무. So you say 한 개 (han gae, one item), not 하나 개, and 두 명 (du myeong, two people). From 다섯 (five) on, the numbers stay the same, as in 다섯 개 (daseot gae).

Korean adds a counter after the number. Common ones are 개 (gae) for general items, 명 (myeong) for people (분, bun, to be polite), 병 (byeong) for bottles, 잔 (jan) for cups or glasses, 마리 (mari) for animals, 장 (jang) for sheets of paper and 권 (gwon) for books. If you're unsure, 개 is usually understood.

Korean groups large numbers by four digits rather than three. 만 (man) is 10,000, 십만 (simman) is 100,000, 백만 (baengman) is 1,000,000 and 억 (eok) is 100,000,000. Thinking in thousands like English can be confusing, so practice reading prices by counting four digits from the right and using 만 as your base unit.

Read each digit with Sino-Korean numbers. Zero can be 공 (gong) or 영 (yeong), and the dash between groups is often read as a quick 에 (e) or simply marked with a short pause. For example, 010 is read 공일공 (gong-il-gong) or 영일영 (yeong-il-yeong). When writing a number down, repeat it digit by digit to confirm.

Zero is 영 (yeong) or 공 (gong). 영 is common in math, temperatures and scores, as in 영하 오 도 (yeongha o do, "five degrees below zero"). 공 is used when reading digits one by one, such as phone numbers, room numbers and PINs, as in 공일공 (gong-il-gong) for 010.

The Sino-Korean word for four, 사 (sa), sounds the same as the character for death (死), so some people avoid it. As a result, some older buildings and hospital elevators label the 4th floor "F," from the English word "four." Many buildings today simply use 4.

Native numbers go up to 99, 아흔아홉 (aheunahop). The tens are 스물 (seumul, 20), 서른 (seoreun, 30), 마흔 (maheun, 40), 쉰 (swin, 50), 예순 (yesun, 60), 일흔 (ilheun, 70), 여든 (yeodeun, 80) and 아흔 (aheun, 90). For larger quantities, people often switch to Sino-Korean numbers, except when talking about age.

For ordinal numbers, add -째 (-jjae) to native numbers: 첫째 (cheotjjae, first), 둘째 (duljjae, second), 셋째 (setjjae, third). You can also use 번째: 첫 번째 (cheot beonjjae), 두 번째 (du beonjjae). In families, 첫째 means the eldest child and 둘째 the second child.

100 is 백 (baek) and 1,000 is 천 (cheon). Put a Sino-Korean number in front for multiples: 이백 (ibaek) is 200 and 삼천 (samcheon) is 3,000. Note that 100, 1,000 and 10,000 are just 백, 천 and 만 (man), not 일백, 일천 or 일만.

Use Sino-Korean numbers with 층 (cheung): 일 층 (il cheung, 1st floor), 삼 층 (sam cheung, 3rd floor). Basement levels are 지하 일 층 (jiha il cheung), shown as B1 in elevators. To ask which floor something is on, say 몇 층이에요? (myeot cheungieyo).

Bus numbers use Sino-Korean numbers. Three-digit numbers are usually read as a whole, so bus 472 is 사백칠십이 번 (sabaek chilsibi beon). Four-digit numbers are often read digit by digit, like 칠공일일 (chil-gong-il-il). Subway lines add 호선 (hoseon): 이 호선 (i hoseon) is Line 2.

인분 (inbun) means "portion per person," so 1인분 (irinbun) is one serving. You'll use it when ordering meat or stews: 삼겹살 2인분 주세요 (samgyeopsal iinbun juseyo, "Two servings of pork belly, please"). Some restaurants only take orders of two servings or more, so check the menu or ask staff.

몇 (myeot) means "how many" and goes before a counter: 몇 개예요? (myeot gaeyeyo, "How many items?"), 몇 명이에요? (myeot myeongieyo, "How many people?"), 몇 시예요? ("What time is it?") and 몇 번 버스예요? ("Which bus number?"). Answer with the same counter, like 세 개요 (se gaeyo, "three").

Use Sino-Korean numbers followed by 원 (won), Korea's currency unit. Larger amounts are broken up around 만 (10,000), as in 삼만 오천 원 (samman ocheon won, 35,000 won). If you can't catch a price, say 다시 한 번 말해 주세요 (dasi han beon malhae juseyo, "Please say it again") or ask them to show it on a calculator or phone.

번 (beon) has two uses. With Sino-Korean numbers, it means a number or label: 3번 출구 (sam beon chulgu, Exit 3) or 5번 버스 (o beon beoseu, bus 5). With native numbers, it means "times": 한 번 (han beon, once), 두 번 (du beon, twice). So 삼 번 is "number three," while 세 번 is "three times."

Many Koreans start with an open hand and fold fingers down one by one beginning with the thumb, then unfold them for six onward. Others start with a closed fist and raise fingers one at a time. It varies by person, so there's no fixed rule. Saying the number out loud at the same time avoids confusion.

Read numbers aloud in daily life. Practice Sino-Korean numbers on bus numbers and prices, and native numbers when counting items or saying the hour. Saying your phone number, birthday or room number in Korean is great practice too. Start by mastering 1 to 10 in both systems before moving on to bigger numbers.