Are you learning Korean and wondering how to count in Korean? Numbers are essential to any language, which is no different in Korean.

Whether you want to count money, tell time, or order food, knowing how to count in Korean will make your life easier. Not to mention, it will impress your Korean friends.

This article serves as a step-by-step guide on counting in Korean and a complete list of numbers 1 – 10000.

Korean Counting System

The counting system for the Korean language is unique, unlike its English words. As such, the numbering system is on units of 10, 100, and 1000. For example, the number 23 is as two 10s and three, which is 이십삼 (ee-ship-sam) in Korean.

Additionally, the pronunciation of some Korean numbers changes based on their positioning in the written sentence. For instance, the number 21 pronunciation is 스물한 (simul-han) when counting objects. Meanwhile, it will be expressed as 이십일 (ee-sip-il) when counting money.

Besides that, the Korean counting system uses two sets of numbers, which can be confusing if you are unfamiliar. The first set is the Native Korean numbers (한국어), and the second set is the Sino-Korean numbers (한자어).

Native Korean numbers are for counting age, telling time or date, and counting small items. Then, Sino-Korean numbers are for counting larger numbers like money or years.

Combining Numbers

Combining numbers may sound complicated, but it is simple if you know the basic rules. Native Korean numbers follow a straightforward pattern. Meanwhile, Sino-Korean numbers work similarly to Chinese numbers.

Below is a guide for combining numbers.

Native Korean Numbers:

• For numbers 11 to 19, add the last digit to “십 (sip).”
• For numbers 20 to 90, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 10 to “십 (sip).”
• For numbers 100 to 900, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 100 to “백 (baek).”
• For numbers 1,000 to 9,000, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 1,000 to “천 (cheon).”

Combining Sino-Korean Numbers:

• For numbers 11 to 19, add the last digit to “십 (sip),” as in Native Korean numbers
• For numbers 20 to 99, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 10 to “십 (sip).”
• For numbers 100 to 900, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 100 to “백 (baek).”
• For numbers 1,000 to 9,000, add the corresponding digit in multiples of 1,000 to “천 (cheon).”
• The word for million is “백만 (baekman),” and billion is “십억 (sip-og).”

In British English, commas separate every three digits instead of periods. However, in Korea, the comma is placed after the fourth digit, like, 100,0000,0000,0000,0000.

Additionally, ordinal numbers can be expressed by adding “째 (jae)” after the cardinal numbers in Korean. For example, “1st” is “첫째 (cheotjae).” Following these guidelines, you can easily write and express numbers in Korean.

Counting Large Numbers

Now that you understand counting to 1,000, you are ready to tackle larger numbers. Here are some tips to navigate those big numbers.

• Understand Decimals. Understanding decimal places is important when counting large numbers. As such, decimals can often come into play when dealing with large numbers. Ensure you understand how they function and where they fall in the number sequence. For instance, they represent numbers less than one (e.g., one-half).
• Start with the basics. Begin by mastering the numbers from one to 10 before moving on to larger quantities.
• Familiarize yourself with the system. In dealing with Native Korean or Sino-Korean numbers, understanding how the system works is necessary. Understand the rules and suffixes for each type of number.
• Try counting objects in your environment or reading numbers from books and websites to help strengthen your skills.
• Take note of decimals. When dealing with large numbers, decimals can often come into play. Ensure you understand how they function and where they fall in the number sequence.
• Use examples. Using concrete examples when explaining large numbers to others is always helpful. For example, a thousand pounds can be broken down into smaller increments to be more manageable.
• Take it one row at a time. When dealing with large quantities, separate them into rows, such as 123,456,789.

Suffix for Native Korean Numbers:

• 1,000: “천 (cheon)”
• 10,000: “만 (man)”
• 100,000: “십만 (shipman)”
• 1,000,000: “백만 (baekman)”

For Sino-Korean Numbers:

• 10,000: “만 (man)”
• 100,000,000: “1억 (1eog)”
• 1,000,000,000,000: “1조 (1jo)”

Meanwhile, use the counter “분의 (bun-ui)” for decimal numbers to indicate fractions. For example, 0.5: “0.5분의 1 (0.5bun-ui 1).”

Conclusion

Learning new languages is always a fun and rewarding experience. And to start learning Korean, knowing how to count is a great place to start.

Knowing how to count in Korean can make navigating through Korea a breeze. Likewise, it will help you build foundational skills in speaking Korean.

To make learning easier, refer to the guide above. Besides that, listen to video tutorials online and download and print out a free study guide.

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