Korean Numbers: Why Korean Has Two Counting Systems

The two systems at a glance

Sino-Korean numbers come from Chinese and run indefinitely high. Native Korean numbers are the older, original words, and they are usually only used up to 99. You will hear both in a single sentence, which is the part that surprises beginners.

• Native 1-10: hana, dul, set, net, daseot, yeoseot, ilgop, yeodeol, ahop, yeol (하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, 다섯, 여섯, 일곱, 여덟, 아홉, 열)
• Sino-Korean 1-10: il, i, sam, sa, o, yuk, chil, pal, gu, sip (일, 이, 삼, 사, 오, 육, 칠, 팔, 구, 십)
• Sino-Korean larger numbers: baek (100), cheon (1,000), man (10,000)

When to use native Korean numbers

Use native numbers when you count objects, people or animals with a counter word, and for the hour when you tell time. Before a counter, some numbers shorten: 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, and 넷 becomes 네.

Native numbers are also the normal choice for age in daily conversation, paired with the counter 살.

Remember that the counter decides the system, not the thing you are counting. Common object counters include 개 (gae, items), 명 (myeong, people), 마리 (mari, animals) and 잔 (jan, cups), and all of them take native numbers.

• 사과 세 개 주세요.

  Sagwa se gae juseyo.

  Three apples, please.

• 저는 스무 살이에요.

  Jeoneun seumu sarieyo.

  I'm twenty years old.

• 지금 두 시예요.

  Jigeum du siyeyo.

  It's two o'clock now.

When to use Sino-Korean numbers

Use Sino-Korean numbers for dates, months, minutes, money, addresses, phone numbers, floors, and any number above 99. Pay attention to the counter that follows: 월 (month), 일 (day), 분 (minute), 원 (won), and 번 (number) all go with Sino-Korean numbers.

• 오늘은 시월 이십팔 일이에요.

  Oneureun siwol isippal irieyo.

  Today is October 28.

• 만 이천 원이에요.

  Man icheon woniyeyo.

  That's 12,000 won.

Telling time uses both

The hour is native and the minutes are Sino-Korean. So 2:30 combines 두 시 (du si) and 삼십 분 (samsip bun). Once you remember this, many daily phrases click into place.

• 두 시 삼십 분이에요.

  Du si samsip buniyeyo.

  It's 2:30.

Counting tips and common mistakes

The most common mistake is mixing systems on a counter, such as saying 일 개 instead of 한 개. When in doubt, check whether the counter is for objects (native) or for dates, money and measurements (Sino-Korean).

Tens work differently as well. Native tens have their own words, like 스물 (twenty, which becomes 스무 before a counter) and 서른 (thirty). Sino-Korean tens are built mathematically, so 이십 is simply "two tens."

A practical way to practice: read the prices on a menu (Sino-Korean), count the items on your table (native), and check the clock (both). Saying the numbers out loud in real situations makes the two systems feel natural much faster than memorizing lists.

Questions people ask