How to Use Korean Numbers
K‑drama cliff‑hangers, K‑pop chart numbers, and that inevitable question “몇 살이에요?” (How old are you?). Sooner or later, you’re going to have to understand Korean numbers. Therefore, mastering Korean numbers is one of the smartest early wins for any learner. In this guide, you’ll discover exactly how the two Korean number systems work, when to use which, and how to avoid the classic rookie mistakes. By the end, you’ll be reading prices, telling time, and ordering 세 잔의 커피 (three coffees) with a confident smile.
Korean Numbers: Understanding the Two Number Systems
Before we dive into pronunciation drills, let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, Korean uses two parallel sets of numbers. One set, called Native Korean, grew organically on the peninsula. The other, Sino‑Korean, arrived centuries ago with Chinese characters and is still used for anything countable above 100, money, phone numbers, dates, and mathematics.
Most beginners panic at the thought of doubling their study load, but take heart: each system has clear jobs. Memorise the contexts and you’ll know instinctively which digits to reach for.
Native Korean Number System
Native Korean numbers feel friendly and down‑to‑earth. You’ll hear them whenever the conversation is personal, tactile, or close‑range; things you can point at or put a hand around.
Common Uses
- ages (especially under 30): 스물세 살 (23 years old)
- counting physical objects: 사과 다섯 개 (five apples)
- telling the hour on a 12‑hour clock: 네 시 (4 o’clock)
- informal counting in games: 하나, 둘, 셋… ― “Ready, set, go!”
Numbers 1 ‑ 20
- 1 하나 (ha‑na)
- 2 둘 (dul)
- 3 셋 (set)
- 4 넷 (net)
- 5 다섯 (da‑seot)
- 6 여섯 (yeo‑seot)
- 7 일곱 (il‑gop)
- 8 여덟 (yeo‑deol)
- 9 아홉 (a‑hop)
- 10 열 (yeol)
- 11 열하나 (yeol‑ha‑na)
- 12 열둘 (yeol‑dul)
- 13 열셋 (yeol‑set)
- 14 열넷 (yeol‑net)
- 15 열다섯 (yeol‑da‑seot)
- 16 열여섯 (yeol‑yeo‑seot)
- 17 열일곱 (yeol‑il‑gop)
- 18 열여덟 (yeol‑yeo‑deol)
- 19 열아홉 (yeol‑a‑hop)
- 20 스물 (seu‑mul)
Shortcut alert: 하나 → 한 and 둘 → 두 when they stand in front of counters: 한 명, 두 잔.
Sino‑Korean Number System
If Native Korean is the cosy cottage, Sino‑Korean is the high‑rise office block, built for scale. It handles all the big‑picture math that Native numbers can’t.
Common Uses
- money: 오천 원 (₩5,000)
- minutes & seconds: 삼십오 분 (35 minutes)
- dates & years: 이천이십오 년 (2025)
- phone numbers & codes: 공일‑구칠팔…
- any number ≥ 100: 백팔십구 (189)
Numbers 0‑20
- 0 영 / 공 (yeong / gong)
- 1 일 (il)
- 2 이 (i)
- 3 삼 (sam)
- 4 사 (sa)
- 5 오 (o)
- 6 육 (yuk)
- 7 칠 (chil)
- 8 팔 (pal)
- 9 구 (gu)
- 10 십 (sip)
- 11 십일 (sip‑il)
- 12 십이 (sip‑i)
- 13 십삼 (sip‑sam)
- 14 십사 (sip‑sa)
- 15 십오 (sip‑o)
- 16 십육 (sip‑yuk)
- 17 십칠 (sip‑chil)
- 18 십팔 (sip‑pal)
- 19 십구 (sip‑gu)
- 20 이십 (i‑sip)
영 vs 공: use 공 for phone numbers and locker codes; 영 for scores, temperatures, and maths.
How to Form Larger Korean Numerals
Bigger numbers in Korean stack together like Lego bricks: once you know the base pieces, you can click them into anything from eleven to a billion. Each number family follows its own blueprint, so let’s zoom in on how to build with both.
Forming Larger Numbers with Native Korean
Native Korean tops out at 99 and shines in conversation; hours, ages, and counters all lean on it. Because this system never developed a standalone word for zero, native speakers simply skip 0 and rely on unique tens roots for round numbers. When a number ends in 0, you just say the tens root by itself; no extra word needed (e.g., 예순 = 60). Combine that root with a unit for everything else: 예순여덟 (68), 마흔둘 (42).
Building rules
- Unique tens roots:
- 20 스물 (seu‑mul)
- 30 서른 (seo‑reun)
- 40 마흔 (ma‑heun)
- 50 쉰 (swin)
- 60 예순 (ye‑sun)
- 70 일흔 (il‑heun)
- 80 여든 (yeo‑deun)
- 90 아흔 (a‑heun)
- Combine tens + single unit by simply adding the single unit: 스물다섯 (25), 마흔일곱 (47)
- For hours, add 시: 여섯 시 (6 o’clock)
- For age, add 살: 서른두 살 (32 years old)
Native numbers rarely wander above the everyday, but nailing them keeps your speech natural and prevents the rookie error of mixing systems. To help you perfect your pronunciation, download Tandem and match with a native Korean speaker today.
Forming Larger Numbers with Sino‑Korean
Sino‑Korean is the workhorse for prices, dates, phone numbers, and anything mathematical. Its logic is straightforward: build numbers from left to right by stacking place‑value words (십, 백, 천, 만…) after the relevant digit.
Building Bigger Korean Numbers
- 11 – 19 (십 + unit)
Place the unit (1‑9) directly after 십 (10).
Examples- 12 십이 (sip-i)
- 15 십오 (sip-o)
- 18 십팔 (sip-pal)
- 20, 30 … 90 (leading digit + 십)
Combine the leading digit (2‑9) + 십.
Examples- 20 이십 (i-sip)
- 30 삼십 (sam-sip)
- 60 육십 (yuk-sip)
- 80 팔십 (pal-sip)
- 21 – 99 (tens + unit)
Add the following together: (leading digit + 십) + unit digit.
Examples- 26 이십육 (i-sip-yuk)
- 34 삼십사 (sam-sip-sa)
- 56 오십육 (o-sip-yuk)
- 78 칠십팔 (chil-sip-pal)
- 99 구십구 (gu-sip-gu)
- Hundreds (digit + 백)
백 (100) can stand alone. Add a digit in front for multiples of 100.
Examples- 100 백 (baek)
- 200 이백 (i-baek)
- 514 오백십사 (o-baek-sip-sa)
- 999 구백구십구 (gu-baek-gu-sip-gu)
- Thousands (digit + 천)
천 (1,000) stands alone for 1,000. Combine with hundreds and below for other values.
Examples- 1,000 천 (cheon)
- 1,234 천이백삼십사 (cheon-i-baek-sam-sip-sa)
- 5,700 오천칠백 (o-cheon-chil-baek)
- Ten‑thousands and beyond (digit + 만, 억)
만 = 10,000. Treat everything left of 만 as one four‑digit block, then repeat for 억 (100 000 000) if needed.
Examples- 35,000 삼만오천 (sam-man-o-cheon)
- 100,000 십만 (sip-man)
- 1,000,000 백만 (baek-man)
- 2,304,500 이백삼십만사천오백 (i-baek-sam-sip-man-sa-cheon-o-baek)
Tip: Read large numbers from left to right, grouping by 만 (10 000). This keeps Korean place values intuitive once you get the hang of four‑digit blocks.
Because prices in Korea often sit in the 만 (10,000) range, you’ll hear 삼만오천 원 (₩ 35,000) or even 백만 (1,000,000) daily. Practice by reading shopping sites aloud; it’s addictive listening prep!
Understanding Time in Korean
Telling the time is where Korea’s dual‑number system really flexes its muscles. Native Korean takes care of hours (because hours feel like ‘countable things’), while Sino‑Korean handles the precise minutes and seconds, the realm of math and schedules.
두 시 삼십 분 (02:30)
열한 시 십오 분 (11:15)
Core pattern
- Hour (Native) + 시
- Minute (Sino) + 분
- Second (Sino) + 초 (optional)
Handy add‑ons
- 정각 (jeong‑gak): “on the dot”.
- 열두 시 정각 → 12:00 exactly
- 반 (ban): “half past”.
- 여섯 시 반 → 6:30
- 오전 / 오후 (ojeon / ohu): AM / PM markers that come before the hour.
- 오후 세 시 → 3:00 PM
- 오전 열 시 반 → 10:30 AM
24‑hour clock
Transport timetables, the military, and news broadcasts often use the 24‑hour format written (or spoken) with pure Sino‑Korean numerals:
- 18:45 → 십팔시 사십오분
- 00:05 → 영시 오분
Spoken shortcuts
Native speakers frequently drop 분 and 초 when the context is clear:
- 다섯 시 십오(분) → 5:15
- 두 시(정각) → 2:00 on the dot
Mini practice list
- 1:05 – 한 시 오 분 (han si o bun)
- 3:30 – 세 시 반 (se si ban)
- 7:45 – 일곱 시 사십오 분 (ilgop si sa‑sip‑o bun)
- 12:00 – 열두 시 정각 (yeol‑du si jeong‑gak)
Need to set up a study date? Try: 여섯 시 반에 만나요! – Let’s meet at 6:30.
Pro Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Mixing systems: Resist saying 오십 살 for a 12‑year‑old; stick to Native ages under 30.
- Dropping counters: In Korean, you never say a bare number + noun. Add 개, 명, 권 etc.
- Forgetting spaces: When writing, leave a gap between the written word and the counter: 다섯 개. Numerals can stick: 5개.
- Saying zero: Temperature? Use 영 도. Phone number? 공.
- Pronunciation shortcuts: 하나 → 한 before counters (한 잔), 둘 → 두 (두 시).
Level up by pairing these numerals with everyday vocabulary. Check out our posts on common Korean phrases and sprinkle in numbers for instant fluency gains.
Beyond Counting: Colourful Korean Expressions with Numbers
Korea loves number‑based idioms and playful Korean slang. Ever seen 삼삼해 to describe something “just so‑so”, or heard 천만에요! (You’re welcome!)? Digging into number expressions not only boosts vocabulary but also unlocks cultural laughter cues. For a sassier side of speech, our guide to Korean insults shows how digits sneak into burns and banter. Feeling poetic? Numbers appear in many beautiful Korean words that capture shades of emotion far beyond arithmetic.
Korean numbers may look like double trouble at first, but treat Native and Sino as specialised teammates rather than rivals. Master their lanes, drill the counters, and soon you’ll breeze through bus schedules, grocery bills, and K‑pop fan‑meet tickets without breaking a sweat.
Ready to put your new digits to the test with real humans? Download Tandem, connect with native speakers, and start counting the wins today!
