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Korean Numbers Cheat Sheet: Native vs Sino-Korean, and When to Use Each
Level
A1
Type
Vocab
Theme
Daily Life
작성자
Y
작성시각
Resource File
未設定
Korean runs on two separate number systems at the same time, and the wrong one in the wrong spot sounds off even when every other word in the sentence is correct. A short reference for which system goes where clears up most of the confusion.
Native Korean Numbers
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
하나, 둘, 셋 | ha-na, dul, set | one, two, three |
넷, 다섯 | net, da-seot | four, five |
Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) are the ones used for counting objects, people, and age, almost always paired with a counter word like 개 (items) or 명 (people), as in 사과 세 개 (three apples). These numbers also shorten when they come directly before a counter: 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, and 넷 becomes 네, so "three apples" uses 세, not 셋, right before 개. 다섯 stays the same, so "five apples" is still 다섯 개.
Sino-Korean Numbers
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
일, 이, 삼 | il, i, sam | one, two, three |
사, 오 | sa, o | four, five |
Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...), borrowed from Chinese number roots, handle dates, phone numbers, money, and minutes. They also stack directly into larger numbers without any extra linking word, unlike English's "twenty" or "thirty," so 이십 (twenty) is literally "two-ten," and 삼백 (three hundred) is "three-hundred" with no extra word needed in between.
Telling Time: Both Systems in One Sentence
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
한 시 삼십 분 | han si sam-sip bun | 1:30 |
두 시 반 | du si ban | 2:30 (half past two) |
Clock time mixes both systems in the same sentence: native Korean for the hour (한 시) and Sino-Korean for the minutes (삼십 분) in 한 시 삼십 분. This trips up a lot of learners the first time they see it, since it looks like the two systems shouldn't mix. 두 시 반 shows the shortcut version, where 반 (half) replaces 삼십 분 for the common "X:30" pattern.
Age and Money: Different Systems, Different Reasons
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
스무 살 | seu-mu sal | 20 years old |
이만 원 | i-man won | 20,000 won |
Age keeps the native system, and 20 gets a special irregular form: 스물 shortens to 스무 before 살, the same pattern as 하나→한 and 둘→두 but with its own unique shape. Money switches to Sino-Korean instead, where 만 (ten thousand) functions as its own unit, so prices in Korea get grouped by 만 instead of by thousands.
A Quick Way to Remember Which System
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
몇 개예요? | myeot gae-ye-yo | How many are there? |
몇 번이에요? | myeot beo-ni-e-yo | What number is it? |
For a general object count, 몇 개예요? expects a native Korean answer, since 개 is a native-Korean-style counter. For an assigned number instead, like a bus route, a phone extension, or a turn in line, 몇 번이에요? expects a Sino-Korean answer; those categories default to Sino-Korean rather than counting quantity.
Both systems stay in everyday use, just for different jobs.
EKC_Numbers_CheatSheet.pdf55.02KB
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