Sino Korean Numbers And Native Korean Numbers
If you want to learn Korean numbers, then you’ve come to the right place. If you didn’t know, Korean actually has two counting systems. These are known as Sino-Korean Numbers and Native Korean Numbers and they are used in different situations. On this page, you will learn everything you need to know to count in Korean.
On this page, we will teach you both Sino-Korean and Native Korean numbers and the situations in which you would use the different number systems. The Korean numbers on this page are written using Korean characters. If you don’t know how to read the Korean alphabet yet, don’t worry. We have a complete Korean Alphabet lesson to help you learn how to read in Korean.
First let’s start with Sino-Korean numbers as these are the easiest to learn and used most often.
Sino-Korean Numbers
Sino-Korean numbers are used for money, dates, phone numbers, addresses, minutes and numbers above 100. Sino-Korean numbers are really easy to learn. Once you learn the first 10 numbers, you can easily count to 99 in Korean.
Numbers 1 to 10
1 to 10 in Sino-Korean Numbers are:
1 – 일 / 2 – 이 / 3 – 삼 / 4 – 사 / 5 – 오 / 6 – 육 / 7 – 칠 / 8 – 팔 / 9 – 구 / 10 – 십
Try to read each number out loud and then play the audio files below to see how to pronounce these numbers.
일
1
이
2
삼
3
사
4
오
5
육
6
칠
7
팔
8
구
9
십
10
Numbers 1 to 100
Once you have memorized the first 10 numbers, you only need to know one more word to be able to count to 100 in Korean. This word is 백 which means 100 in Korean.
백
100
You can now say any number between 1 and 100 by simply combining the numbers you have just learned. For example, to make 11 we simply say 10 (십) followed by 1 (일) = 십일 (11). To say 12 we simply put together 10 (십) followed by 2 (이) = 십이 (12). Easy right?
This is the same up to 십구 (19). Can you guess how to say 20 in Korean? To say 20 we simply put together 이 (2) and 십 (10) to make 이십 (20). You can think of it as 2×10=20. And, this is the same for 30 (삼십), 40 (사십), 50 (오십), 60 (육십), 70 (칠십), 80 (팔십), and 90 (구십). And then to say 100 we use the word 백.
Armed with this knowledge you should be able to say any number between 1 and 100 in Korean. For example, 21 would be 이 (2)십(10)일(1) = 이십일. 35 would be 삼십오. 97 would be 구십칠.
Let’s try! Use the practice exercise below to practice saying numbers between 1 and 100. Look at the numbers and try to say it in Korean. Then click on the answer tab to see the answer.
Practice Exercise
5
오
15
십오
25
이십오
85
팔십오
7
칠
17
십칠
47
사십칠
97
구십칠
52
오십이
28
이십팔
69
육십구
100
백
Numbers 100 to 10,000
Now that you can count to 100 in Korean, you only need to know two more words to count to 10,000 in Korean. These are 천 (thousand) and 만 (ten thousand).
천
1000
만
10,000
To say any number between 100 and 10,000 simply combine the numbers you have already learned. For example, to say nine thousand we simply say 구 (nine) 천 (thousand) – 구천 (9000).
To say nine thousand nine hundred we say 구 (nine) 천 (thousand) 구 (nine) 백 (hundred) – 구천구백 (9900).
To say nine thousand nine hundred and eighty we say 구 (nine) 천 (thousand) 구 (nine) 백 (hundred) 팔(eight) 십 (ten) – 구천구백팔십 (9980).
To say nine thousand nine hundred and eighty seven we say 구 (nine) 천 (thousand) 구 (nine) 백 (hundred) 팔(eight) 십 (ten) 칠 (seven) – 구천구백팔십칠 (987).
Your turn! Use the practice exercise below to practice saying numbers between 100 and 10,000. Look at the number and try to say it in Korean. Then click on the answer tab to see the answer.
Practice Exercise
2000
이천
2200
이천이백
2220
이천이백이십
2222
이천이백이십이
3400
삼천사백
6055
육천오십오
1001
천일
8961
팔천구백육십일
10,000
만
Numbers 10,000 to 1 Billion
Korean numbers higher than 10,000 start to get a bit difficult for English speakers. Not because the words are difficult, but rather the number system is a little different to what they are used to.
Korean numbers between 10,000 (ten thousand) and 100,000,000 (one hundred million) are counted in increments of 10,000. So, where as in English you would say 100,000 as “one hundred thousand”, in Korean we would say “십만” which means 10(십) x 10,000(만).
Numbers from 100,000,000 (one hundred million) and above are counted in increments of one hundred million. 100,000,000 is 억 in Korean.
As you have already learned the numbers to count from 1 to 10,000, you only need to learn six more words to be able to count to 1 billion in Korean. These are:
10,000 만 / 100,000 십만 / 1,000,000 (million) 백만 / 10,000,000 (10 million) 천만 / 100,000,000 (100 million) 일억 / 1,000,000,000 (billion) 십억.
Try to read each word in Korean and then click on the audio below to listen how it should sound.
만
10,000
(ten thousand)
십만
100,000
(hundred thousand)
백만
1,000,000
(million)
천만
10,000,000
(ten million)
억
100,000,000
(one hundred million)
십억
1,000,000,000
(billion)
Congratulations! You have now learned all the numbers you need to know to count to 1 billion in Korean. Obviously it will take time and practice to master Korean numbers, but if you memorize the following 18 words you’ll be able to make any number using Sino-Korean Numbers:
1 – 일 / 2 – 이 / 3 – 삼 / 4 – 사 / 5 – 오 / 6 – 육 / 7 – 칠 / 8 – 팔 / 9 – 구 / 10 – 십
100 – 백 / 1000 – 천 / 10,000 – 만 / 100,000 – 십만 / 1,000,000 – 백만 / 10,000,000 – 천만
100,000,000 – 억 / 1,000,000,000 – 십억
Native Korean Numbers
Next, let’s look at the other Korean number system which is native Korean numbers.
The first thing to know about native Korean numbers is that they only go up to 99. For any number higher than that, Sino-Korean numbers are use.
Native Korean numbers are only used for certain things. Native Korean numbers are used for age, counting things, counting people, and for just counting. If you’ve ever seen a Korean person taking a photograph you’ve probably heard them count to 3 before taking the picture by saying “하나, 둘 , 셋”.
To tell the time in Korean, both native Korean numbers (for hours) and Sino-Korean numbers (for minutes) are used. So, it is important to learn both number systems to talk about time, age, and counting things in Korean.
Let’s first learn numbers 1 to 10 in native Korean numbers.
Numbers 1 to 10
The first 10 native Korean numbers are:
1 – 하나 / 2 – 둘 / 3 – 셋 / 4 – 넷 / 5 – 다섯 / 6 – 여섯 / 7 – 일곱 / 8 – 여덟 / 9 – 아홉 / 10 – 열
Try to read each number out loud and then listen to the audio below to see how it should sound.
하나
1
둘
2
셋
3
넷
4
다섯
5
여섯
6
일곱
7
여덟
8
아홉
9
열
10
Now that you know the first ten native Korean numbers, counting to 19 is really easy. Again, just like Sino-Korean numbers, you simply combine the numbers you have just learned. To say 11 simply put together 열 (10) and 하나 (1) to make 열하나 (11). To say 12 simply put together 열 (10) and 둘 (2) to make 열둘 (12). This is the same up to number 19.
Numbers 20-99
Unlike Sino-Korean numbers, numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 have their own special word. Once you learn these words you can then easily say any Native Korean number between 1 and 99.
Let’s learn these numbers. Try to read each number out loud and then click on the audio to see how it should sound.
열
10
스물
20
서른
30
마흔
40
쉰
50
예순
60
일흔
70
여든
80
아흔
90
축하해요! Congratulations!
You have now learned all the native Korean numbers you need to know to count to 99. To say any number simply combine the numbers you have just learned. For example, to say 35 simply put together 서른 (30) and 다섯 (5) to make 서른다섯 (35). To make 99 simply put together 아흔 (90) and 아홉 (9) to make 아흔아홉 (99). Easy right?
Your turn, try the practice exercise below. Try to say each number out loud. Then click on the answer tab to see if you were correct.
Practice Exercise
13
열셋
28
스물여덟
31
서른하나
47
마흔일곱
52
쉰둘
64
예순넷
75
일흔다섯
86
여든여섯
97
아흔일곱
19
열아홉
23
스물셋
38
서른여덟
I hope you found this lesson about numbers in Korean useful. If you would like to practice some more you can download some flashcards and a Korean numbers list below.
Ready to study more Korean language? Check out LK24’s Korean Vocabulary pages and Korean lesson pages to expand your vocabulary and learn useful Korean phrases and grammar.