2 · Numbers, counters and time
First, second, third: 첫째 and 번째
ordinal numbers and positions
Native 첫째 and 두 번째 count in order; Sino-Korean numbers with a counter name a position or a rank.
The native way to say "second" or "third" adds -째 to the number: 둘째, 셋째, 넷째, 다섯째. "First" is irregular: 첫째, not formed from 하나. These words rank children in a family and points in a list. With 번 in between they mean "the nth one" or "the nth time": 첫 번째, 두 번째, 세 번째 — here the shortened forms 두, 세, 네 are used.
On its own, 첫 stands directly before a noun and means "first": 첫 만남(first meeting)첫날(the first day)첫눈(the first snow of the year) Its opposite is 마지막, "last".
The Sino-Korean way names a position with a number and a counter: 일 번(number one)삼 층(third floor)이 학년(second year)일 등(first place) In formal headings the prefix 제 goes in front: 제일 과, Lesson One; 제삼 장, Chapter Three. 제일 is also an everyday adverb, "most": 제일 좋아요, "I like it best".
English speakers stumble in three places: they build "first" from one (한 번째 instead of 첫 번째), they confuse 두 번 (twice) with 두 번째 (the second time), and they use 일 번 where an order is meant rather than a label. 일 번 is a name on a list; 첫 번째 is a place in a sequence.
The form
| first, second, third | 첫째, 둘째, 셋째 |
| the first, second, third one or time | 첫 번째, 두 번째, 세 번째 |
| eleventh | 열한 번째 |
| first, before a noun | 첫 만남, 첫날 |
| number one, first place | 일 번, 일 등 |
| Lesson One, in a heading | 제일 과 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
"First" is 첫째 or 첫 번째, never formed from 하나.
오늘은 한국에서 보내는 첫 번째 생일이에요.Today is my first birthday in Korea.
번째 takes the shortened native forms: 두 번째, 세 번째, 열한 번째.
왼쪽에서 세 번째 집이 우리 집이에요.The third house from the left is ours.
-째 on its own ranks children and points in a list.
저는 둘째 딸이에요.I am the second daughter.
A Sino-Korean number with a counter names a position: 일 번, 삼 층, 이 학년.
저는 삼 학년이에요.I am in the third year.
두 번 is twice; 두 번째 is the second time.
이번이 두 번째 방문이에요.This is my second visit.
A closer look
제일: number one and "the most"
제일 began as a Sino-Korean ordinal, "the first", and it still is one in headings and fixed expressions: 제일 과, Lesson One. Written with digits, these are 제1과, and the other numbers follow the same pattern: 제이 과, 제삼 과.
In everyday speech, however, 제일 is mostly an adverb meaning "most" or "best": 제일 좋아해요, "I like it best"; 제일 비싸요, "it is the most expensive". The more written synonym is 가장. Both stand before the adjective or verb, which takes no ending of its own for "most" — nothing like English -est.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the number is 11, 21, 31 and so on
the one stays 한: 열한 번째, 스물한 번째 — not 첫.
이번이 열한 번째 시합이에요.This is the eleventh match.
첫 replaces 한 only when the whole number is one. Inside a larger number the usual shortened form stays.
How to spot it
- -째
- 번째
- 첫
- 제
- 등
- 마지막
Example sentences
첫째 아들은 대학생이고 둘째는 고등학생이에요.The eldest son is at university and the second is at secondary school.
마라톤에서 일 등을 했어요.I came first in the marathon.
두 번째 신호등에서 오른쪽으로 가세요.Turn right at the second set of traffic lights.
오늘은 제오 과를 공부해요.Today we are studying Lesson Five.
지하철 이 호선을 타세요.Take Line 2 of the underground.
오늘이 휴가 마지막 날이에요.Today is the last day of the holiday.
8 more example sentences
엘리베이터를 타고 칠 층에서 내리세요.Take the lift and get off at the seventh floor.
첫 월급으로 부모님께 선물을 드렸어요.I gave my parents a present from my first salary.
이 책은 세 번째 장이 제일 재미있어요.In this book, the third chapter is the most interesting.
셋째, 매일 조금씩 연습하세요.Third, practise a little every day.
우리 반에서 민수가 일 등이에요.Minsu is top of our class.
삼십칠 번 손님, 창구로 오세요.Customer number thirty-seven, please come to the counter.
이 길로 가면 두 번째 건물이 병원이에요.If you go this way, the second building is the hospital.
첫눈이 왔어요.The first snow has fallen.
Worth knowing (1)
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The eldest, the second, the youngest
In a family, children are counted with 첫째, 둘째, 셋째, and the youngest is 막내, whatever their number. People ask about this often, because the place among the siblings decides how people address each other.
저는 삼 남매 중에서 막내예요.I am the youngest of three siblings.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
With every other number, 번째 follows the shortened form — 두 번째, 세 번째 — so 한 번째 looks logical. But "first" has its own word, 첫, and it replaces 한 here. (첫 여행, "the first trip", is also correct.)
First on its own is cheot — cheotjjae, cheot beonjjae; from two on, the number simply comes before -jjae or beonjjae.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.