11.1. Numbers and Counting

Korean has two sets of numerals. One of these (일, 이, 삼…) was borrowed from Chinese; the other set is native (하나,둘, 셋…). Up to 99, both sets are used. For units of 100 and above, only the Chinese set is used; but in compound numbers (like 121) you will hear both (백 이십일 and 백 스물 하나). In general, the numerals above 10 are combinations of the first ten: 11 is 10 + 1 (열 하나; 십일), 12 is 10 + 2 (열둘; 십이), and so on. The Pure Korean (i.e., native Korean as opposed to Chinese) numerals 20, 30, 40, etc., are special words, but in the Chinese system, 20 is 2 x 10 (이십), 30 is 3 x 10 (삼십), etc. Below are all the numerals you will need to know in Korean. In cases where the actual pronunciation of a numeral differs from the 한글 spelling, we have noted this in square brackets.

Pure Korean Numerals  Sino-KoreanNumerals
Ordianary Pronunciation Pronunciation before Nouns
1 하나 한 일
2 둘 두 이
3 셋 세/석* 삼
4 넷 네/넉* 사
5 다섯 same 오
6 여섯 same 육/-륙
7 일곱 same 칠
8 여덟 [여덜] same 팔
9 아홉 same 구
10 열 same 십
11 열하나 열한 십일
12 열둘 [열뚤] 열두 [열뚜] 십이
13 열셋 열세/석* 십삼
14 열넷 열네/넉* 십사
15 열다섯 [열따섯] same 십오
16 열여섯 [열려섯] same 십륙 [심뉵]
17 열일곱 same 십칠
18 열여덟 [열려덜] same 십팔
19 열아홉 same 십구
20 스물 스무 이십
21 스물하나 스물한 이십일
22 스물둘 [-뚤] 스물두 [-뚜] 이십이
23 스물셋 스물세/석* 이십삼
24 스물넷 스물네/넉* 이십사
30 서른 same 삼십
33 서른셋 서른세/석* 삼십삼
40 마흔 same 사십
44 마흔넷 마흔네/넉* 사십사
50 쉰 same 오십
55 쉰다섯 same 오십오
60 예순 same 육십
66 예순여섯 same 육십육 [육씸뉵]
70 일흔 same 칠십
77 일흔일곱 same 칠십칠
80 여든 same 팔십
88 여든여덟 same 팔십팔
90 아흔 same 구십
100 백
200 이백
300 삼백
400 사백
500 오백
600 육백
700 칠백
800 팔백
900 구백
1,000 천
10,000 만
60,000 육만
100,000 십만
1,000,000 백만
When the Pure Korean numerals for 3 and 4 are used before counters which begin with the sounds ㄷ and ㅈ, they can be pronounced 석 and 넉, respectively.
Note that the Sino-Korean word for six has two shapes: 육 in word-initial position or after a pause, and 륙 elsewhere. 육십 60 but 육십륙 66. The surname Lee behaves in a similar way: it is pronounced as 이 in word-initial position or after a pause, and 리 elsewhere: 이 선생님 Mr. Lee but 미스 리 Miss Lee. These cases of ㄹ showing up in one position but disappearing again in another are originally from Chinese: at one stage in its history Korean underwent a sound change whereby word-initial ㄹ and ㄴ dropped before i and y, and the alternation here is the legacy of this earlier sound change.

Each of the Korean numerals from 1 to 4 (하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 ) and 20 (스물) is peculiar in this respect: when used right before the word it is counting, the numeral drops its last sound. Here are some common examples:

하나 one 한사람 one person
한 개 one object 
한 시 one o’clock
둘 two 두 달 two months
두 분 two esteemed people
두 명 people
셋 three 세 병 three bottles
세 가지 three kinds
세 쪽 three pieces (of paper)
넷 four  네 마리 four (animals)
네 살 four years (of age)
네 시간 four hours
스물 twenty  스무 번 twenty times
스무 대 twenty vehicles

In English we can say either two cows or two head of cattle; but when counting, say, dogs, we have but one choice: two dogs. Koreans use both types of construction, but often prefer the latter: 개 두 마리 two dogs. The word 마리 is a special kind of COUNTER (also called a CLASSIFIER); it classifies nouns for counting purposes according to some common characteristic. Things counted with 마리 are animals and fishes, things counted with 장 are thin, flat, sheet-like things, and so on. Other kinds of counters are MEASURES, used to say how much there is of something that can be measured out-by the cupful, the kilogram, pound, the mile (of distance), the dollar or 원 (of money), etc.. English has measures, like Korean, and also a few counters (such as head for cattle), but Korean has more of these than English has. That is why there is no ready English equivalent for the counters in 책 세 권 three (volumes of) books, 집 세 채 three (buildings of) houses, etc. As the lists to follow show, there are some counters which go with the Pure Korean numerals and others which require the Sino-Korean numerals. The distinction is sometimes crucial, as in the case of

분:

한분 1 esteemed person                     일분 1 minute

두분 2 esteemed people                     이분 2 minutes

세분 3 esteemed people                     삼분 3 minutes

A NUMERICAL EXPRESSION is either a numeral by itself or a numeral plus a counter. When you are using particles with NUMERICAL EXPRESSIONS, you enjoy a certain amount of freedom as to where you can put the particle in the sentence. Numerical expressions have the following four usages:
a. Numeral Expressions can modify counters:

    두 사람이 있어요.  There are 2 people.

b. Numeral Expressions can have particles after them:

    가게 둘이 있어요. There are 2 shops.
    책 두 권이 있어요. There are 2 (volumes of) books.
    둘이 있어요. There are 2.
    두 권이 있어요. There are 2 (volumes).

c. Numeral Expressions can be used as adverbs:

    책이 둘 있어요. There are 2 books. [lit.: Books exist to the tune of 2~2-wise]
    책이 두 권 있어요. There are 2 (volumes of) books. [lit.: Books exist to the tune of 2 volumes]

d. Numeral Expressions can be used before the copula:

    두 시입니다. It is 2:00 o’clock.

Here are some examples of numerical expressions in sentences:

  1.  이 방 안에는 창문이 일곱 개 있어요.
    There are seven windows in this room.
  2. 부산행 기차표 두 장 주세요.
    Please give me two [train] tickets to Pusan.
  3. 나는 우체국 앞에서 자동차 여섯 대를 봤어요.
    I saw six cars in front of the post office
  4. 신문을 세 장 샀어요.
    I bought three newspapers.
  5. 그 집에 방이 몇 개 있어요?
    How many rooms are there in that house?
  6. 석달 후에 영국에 가요.
    I’m going to England in [after] three months.
  7. 그 서점이 몇층이에요?
    How many floors is the bookshop? or Which floor is the bookshop?
  8. 백화점에는 여러 가지 물건을 팔아요.
    They sell many/several/all kinds of goods in department stores.

The following counters are used with Pure Korean Numerals up to the number 20, after which Sino-Korean numerals may also be used. Note that some counters can also function as independent nouns. Those counters which cannot function as independent nouns, and are therefore bound, are preceded by a dash: -. Those counters which can function as either a counter or an independent noun are preceded by a dash in parentheses: (-):

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