Korean has two complete number systems, and you need both. Before you close the tab — this is easier than it sounds. Each system has a clear job, the rules for choosing are simple, and by the end of this guide you’ll know exactly which one to use when.
The Two Systems at a Glance
| Sino-Korean (한자어 수) | Native Korean (고유어 수) | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | borrowed from Chinese | original Korean |
| Used for | money, dates, minutes, phone numbers, math | counting things, people, age (casual), hours |
| Range | unlimited | 1–99 in practice |
| ”Three” | 삼 (sam) | 셋 (set) |
Korean Numbers 1–10 (Both Systems)
| # | Sino-Korean | Native Korean |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 일 (il) | 하나 (hana) |
| 2 | 이 (i) | 둘 (dul) |
| 3 | 삼 (sam) | 셋 (set) |
| 4 | 사 (sa) | 넷 (net) |
| 5 | 오 (o) | 다섯 (daseot) |
| 6 | 육 (yuk) | 여섯 (yeoseot) |
| 7 | 칠 (chil) | 일곱 (ilgop) |
| 8 | 팔 (pal) | 여덟 (yeodeol) |
| 9 | 구 (gu) | 아홉 (ahop) |
| 10 | 십 (sip) | 열 (yeol) |
Memory tip: Sino-Korean numbers are short (one syllable each) — built for math and speed. Native numbers are longer and warmer — built for counting things you can touch.
Building Bigger Numbers
Sino-Korean: pure multiplication
Sino-Korean numbers assemble like Lego — say the digits with their place values:
| Number | Korean | Logic |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 십일 (sibil) | 10 + 1 |
| 20 | 이십 (isip) | 2 × 10 |
| 35 | 삼십오 (samsibo) | 3×10 + 5 |
| 100 | 백 (baek) | hundred |
| 1,000 | 천 (cheon) | thousand |
| 10,000 | 만 (man) | ten-thousand |
The 만 (man) trap: Korean groups by 10,000, not 1,000. One million isn’t “one thousand thousands” — it’s 백만 (baek-man), “a hundred ten-thousands.” Prices make this real fast:
- ₩15,000 = 만 오천 원 (man ocheon won)
- ₩250,000 = 이십오만 원 (isibo-man won)
Native Korean: tens have their own names
| Number | Korean |
|---|---|
| 20 | 스물 (seumul) |
| 30 | 서른 (seoreun) |
| 40 | 마흔 (maheun) |
| 50 | 쉰 (swin) |
| 60 | 예순 (yesun) |
| 99 | 아흔아홉 (aheunahop) |
Above 99, everyone switches to Sino-Korean. In daily life you’ll rarely need native numbers past 스물 (20).
When to Use Which: The Cheat Sheet
| Situation | System | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Sino | 오천 원 (5,000 won) |
| Phone numbers | Sino | 공일공… (010…) |
| Dates, years, months | Sino | 삼월 (March), 이십일 일 (the 21st) |
| Minutes & seconds | Sino | 삼십 분 (30 minutes) |
| Counting objects | Native | 사과 두 개 (two apples) |
| Counting people | Native | 세 명 (three people) |
| Age (casual) | Native | 스물다섯 살 (25 years old) |
| Hours on the clock | Native | 세 시 (3 o’clock) |
The famous mixed case — telling time: hours are native, minutes are Sino.
3:30 = 세 시 삼십 분 (se si samsip bun) — native 세, Sino 삼십.
Counters: The Final Piece
Korean rarely counts nouns bare — you add a counter word (like English “two sheets of paper”). The native number + counter pattern:
| Counter | For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 개 (gae) | things (general) | 사과 두 개 — two apples |
| 명 (myeong) | people | 친구 세 명 — three friends |
| 마리 (mari) | animals | 고양이 한 마리 — one cat |
| 잔 (jan) | cups/glasses | 커피 두 잔 — two coffees |
| 권 (gwon) | books | 책 다섯 권 — five books |
Important quirk: 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, 스물 shorten before counters: 하나 → 한 개, 둘 → 두 개, 셋 → 세 개, 넷 → 네 개, 스물 → 스무 살.
Pronunciation: Numbers Change Sound Too
Numbers are full of sound changes that trip up readers:
| Written | Pronounced | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 십육 (16) | [심뉵] simnyuk | nasalization |
| 육만 (60,000) | [융만] yungman | nasalization |
| 십분 (10 min) | [십뿐] sipppun | tensification |
If you read 십육 as “sip-yuk,” native speech will never match what’s in your head — this is exactly why we recommend learning batchim rules alongside vocabulary.
Practice Reading Numbers in the Wild
Numbers are everywhere in Korea: menus, subway exits, prices, K-drama phone screens. Reading 만 오천 원 instantly — instead of pausing to decode — is a daily-life superpower.
Continue with days of the week (which pair with Sino-Korean dates) and the full numbers and time guide. To make number-reading automatic, the Batchim app mixes prices, times, and dates into its speed-reading drills.