korean number system0
There are two main methods of counting in Korean.
Native Korean System
First, there is the Korean based counting system. The Korean based counting system is not based on Chinese characters, and in modern Korean only goes up to 99.
1 하나 - hana
2 둘 - dul
3 셋 - set
4 넷 - net
5 다섯 - daseot
6 여섯 - yeoseot
7 일곱 - ilgop
8 여덟 - yeodeol
9 아홉 - ahop
10 열 - yeol
20 스물 - seumul
30 서른 - seoreun
40 마흔 - maheun
50 쉰 - swin
60 예순 - yesun
70 일흔 - ireun
80 여든 - yeodeun
90 아흔 - aheun
99 아흔 아홉 - aheun ahop
Native Korean numbers are used for counting most things, but generally combine with "classifiers", such as 개 gae (the most common classifier), 명 myeong (for people), and 병 byeong (for bottles). They are also used for measuring time (using 시 si "hour") and age (using 살 sal "years old"). There are dozens of distinct classifiers for counting different nouns. Some examples using these classifiers:
- 다섯 명 five people
- 소주 두 병 two bottles of soju
- 세 시 three o'clock
- 스무 살 twenty years old
Sino-Korean System
Second, there is the Sino-Korean based counting system. This system is derived from Chinese, and can be written using Chinese characters.
1 일 (一) - il
2 이 (二) - i
3 삼 (三) - sam
4 사 (四) - sa
5 오 (五) - o
6 육 (六) - yuk (ryuk)
7 칠 (七) - chil
8 팔 (八) - pal
9 구 (九) - gu
10 십 (十) - ship
100 백 (百) - baek
1,000 천 (千)- cheon
10,000 만 (萬)- man
100,000 십만(十萬) - shim man
1,000,000 백만(百萬) - baeng man
10,000,000 천만(千萬) - cheon man
100,000,000 억(億) - eok
Sino-Korean numbers are used in any situation where it may be necessary to count past 99, and especially for counting money. It is also used for counting years, months and days. Note that numbers over 10,000 are counted in multiples of 10,000, not 1,000 as in English and other European languages.
- 삼월 - March
- 이십 팔일 - 28th (day of the month)
- 이천 오년 - the year 2005
- 사십칠만 사천 팔백 오십 원 - 474,850 won