KOREAN NUMBERS

SINO- KOREAN NUMBERS NATIVE KOREAN NUMBERS

1-일 1 - 하나

2-이 2-둘

3-삼 3-셋

4-사 4-넷

5-오 5 - 다섯

6-육 6 - 여섯

7- 칠 7- 일곱

8-팔 8 - 여덟

9-구 9 - 아홉
10 - 십 10 - 열

11 - 십일 11 - 열 하나

12 - 십이 12 - 열둘

13 - 십삼 13 - 열셋

14 - 십사 14 - 열넷

15- 십오 15 - 열다섯

16 - 십육 16 - 열여섯

17 - 십칠 17 - 열일곱

18 - 십팔 18 - 열여덟

19 - 십구 19 - 열아홉
30 - 삼십 30 - 서른
20 - 이십 20 - 스물
40 - 사십 40 - 마흔

50 - 오십 50 - 예준

60 - 육십 60 - 육십

70 - 칠십 70 - 일혼

80 – 팔십 80 – 여든

90 - 구술 90 - 아흔

100 - 백 100 -

1,000 - 천 1,000 -
10,000 –
10,000 – 만
 100,000 -십만

As seen above, the Korean number system is more systematic than the English number
system when it comes to the formation of higher numbers. For instance, while English uses
special words for 11 through 19, such as eleven, twelve and so on, Korean numbers are
formed "ten + one" (십일) or (열하나), "ten + two" (십이) or (열둘) and so on.

For multiples of ten, Sino-Korean numbers are simple combinations: 20 is "two + ten" ( 이
십 ), 30 is "three + ten" ( 삼 섬 ), and so on. However, native Korean numbers have special
words, as 20 is 스물, 30 is 서른, and so on. In addition, the native Korean number set does
not have the number "zero."
The use of Sino-Korean numbers and native Korean numbers differs in a number of ways.
First, as indicated by the asterisk mark above, native Korean numbers "one," "two," "three,"
"four," and "twenty" have slightly modified forms. Koreans use these modified forms when
they count one of these native numbers with a counter (e.g., 명 a counter for person). For
instance, one person would be 한 명, rather than 하나 명.
Second, Koreans use native Korean numbers when counting a small number of objects. For
instance, three bottles of beers would be 맥주 세병 (beer + three + bottles). However, when
counting a large number of objects, they prefer using Sino-Korean numbers, as "62 bottles of
beers" would be 맥주 육십이 병.
Third, from 100 and above, Koreans use only Sino-Korean numbers. Consequently, 134
would be read as 백삼십사. It is optional to add 일 to the number that starts with 1, such as
100, 1000, and so on, however, it is more common to say the number without it. For instance,
for 100, saying "백 (hundred)" is more common than saying "일백 (one hundred)."

125 - 백이십오

247 - 이백사십칠
 539 - 오백삼십구

764 - 칠백육십사

1,457 - 천사백오십칠

83,625 - 팔만 삼천육백이십오
It is rare but you can read a number that is over 100, by combining a Sino-Korean number
and a native Korean number. For instance, 134 can be read as 백 서 른 넷 (Sino-Korean
number + native Korean number). However, the use of Sino-Korean numbers is more
dominant than a mixed use of both sets of numbers.
Finally, Koreans in general use Sino-Korean numbers when doing math- ematical
calculations.

8x3=24 = 팔 곱하기 삼은 이십사

12+7=19 = 심이 더하기 칠은 십구

9-4-5 = 구빼기 사는 오

20+5=4 = 이십 나누기 오는 사

Counting
There are two ways of counting countable objects. You can just use a number by itself or use a number with
a counter (the function of a counter is to indicate the type of noun being counted). When counting without a
counter, you use native Korean numbers. For instance, for "two students," you can say 학생 둘 (noun +
number).

One student - 학생 하나
Two students - 학생 둘
Three students - 학생 셋
Four students - 학생 넷
Five students - 학생 다섯
Six students - 학생 여섯
Ten students - 학생 열

EXCERCISES
Express the following Sino-Korean numbers in figures:
1 십팔 - 18

2구 - 9

3 사십일 - 41

4 팔십일 – 81

5 천사백오십구 – 1,59

6 십칠 - 17

7 육십삼- 63

8 칠십오 - 75

9 오십육 - 56

10 백이 - 102

Express the following native Korean numbers in figures:

1 일곱 - 7

2 열여덟 - 18

3 스물 다섯 - 25

4 열일곱 - 17

5 여든 일곱 - 87

6 스물 셋 - 23

7 서른셋 - 33

8 열하나 - 11

9 예순 넷 - 64

10 마흔 아홉 - 49

Write the following numbers in native Korean numbers:

1. 3 – 셋

2. 16 – 열 여섯

3. 45 - 마 흔 다 섯
4. 92 – 아 흔 ㄷ둘

5. 11 – 열 하 너

6. 18 – 열 아 홉

7. 20 – 스 물

8. 52 – 여 준 둘

9. 30 – 스 른

10. 63 – 육 셋

Write the following numbers in Sino-Korean numbers:

1. 6 – 육

2. 11 – 십 ㅇ일

3. 37 – 삼 칠

4. 42 – 사 이

5. 517 – 오 십 칠

6. 15 – 십 오

7. 153 – 백 오 십 삼

8. 61 – 육 십 일

9. 74 – 칠 십 사

10. 3021 – 삼 천 이 십 일