1 · 39 words

Numbers from Chinese: 일, 이, 삼

The number set for prices, dates, floors, phone numbers and minutes.

Korean has two sets of numbers, and which one you use depends on what you count. This set came from Chinese and covers money, dates, minutes, floors, room and bus numbers and anything written with digits: 삼천 원, 오 층, 십 분. Big numbers are grouped in tens of thousands, not thousands: 만 is 10,000, so 100,000 is 십만, “ten ten-thousands”. Ten, a hundred, a thousand and ten thousand carry no 일 for “one”: 100 is 백, not “one hundred”, and 10,000 is just 만.

The words

Noun (6)

번호number (phone, seat, account)Noun1

번호를 다시 말해 주세요.Please say the number again.

숫자number; digitNoun1

이 숫자는 어떻게 읽어요?How do you read this number?

더하기plusNoun1

이 더하기 삼은 오예요.Two plus three is five.

빼기minusNoun1

십 빼기 사는 육이에요.Ten minus four is six.

곱하기times, multiplied byNoun1

삼 곱하기 삼은 구예요.Three times three is nine.

나누기divided byNoun1

십 나누기 이는 오예요.Ten divided by two is five.

Adverb (1)

제일most; best; firstAdverb1

저는 김치를 제일 좋아해요.I like kimchi best.

Literally “number one”.

Numeral (19)

영zeroNumeral1

오늘 아침 기온이 영 도예요.This morning the temperature is zero degrees.

In phone numbers and room numbers people say 공 instead.

공zero (in phone numbers and codes)Numeral1

휴대폰 번호는 보통 공일공으로 시작해요.Mobile numbers usually begin with 010.

일oneNumeral1

사무실은 일 층에 있어요.The office is on floor 1 (the ground floor).

이twoNumeral1

화장실은 이 층에 있어요.The toilets are on floor 2.

삼threeNumeral1

삼 번 출구에서 만나요.Let's meet at exit 3.

사fourNumeral1

우리 집은 사 층이에요.Our flat is on floor 4.

It sounds like the word for death, so some buildings label the fourth floor with a letter instead.

오fiveNumeral1

오 분만 기다려 주세요.Please wait just five minutes.

육sixNumeral1

저는 육 번 버스를 타요.I take the number 6 bus.

After a consonant inside a number it is said with an n: 십육 sounds [심뉵].

칠sevenNumeral1

칠 층에서 내리세요.Get out at floor 7.

팔eightNumeral1

이 볼펜은 팔백 원이에요.This pen is 800 won.

구nineNumeral1

구 번 버스가 와요.The number 9 bus is coming.

십tenNumeral1

역까지 십 분 걸려요.It takes ten minutes to the station.

Tens are built by putting a number in front: 이십 20, 삼십 30.

백hundredNumeral1

이 사탕은 하나에 백 원이에요.These sweets are a hundred won each.

천thousandNumeral1

물 한 병에 천 원이에요.A bottle of water is a thousand won.

만ten thousandNumeral1

이 모자는 만 원이에요.This hat is ten thousand won.

The unit Korean counts in: 50,000 is 오만, “five ten-thousands”.

십만a hundred thousandNumeral1

이 신발은 십만 원이에요.These shoes are a hundred thousand won.

백만a millionNumeral1

새 컴퓨터가 백만 원이에요.The new computer costs a million won.

Literally “a hundred ten-thousands”.

천만ten millionNumeral1

이 차는 천만 원이에요.This car is ten million won.

억a hundred millionNumeral1

그 집은 삼억 원이에요.That house is three hundred million won.

The next step after 만: ten thousand ten-thousands.

Counter (13)

원won (Korean money)Counter1

커피 한 잔에 사천 원이에요.A cup of coffee is four thousand won.

달러dollarCounter1

이 책은 이십 달러예요.This book is twenty dollars.

번number (in a series)Counter1

제 자리는 십오 번이에요.My seat is number 15.

With native numbers 번 counts times instead: 두 번, “twice”.

층floor, storeyCounter1

식당은 오 층에 있어요.The restaurant is on floor 5.

Counted from the street: 일 층 is the ground floor, 지하 일 층 the first basement.

호number (of a room or flat)Counter1

저는 삼백오 호에 살아요.I live in flat 305.

호선line (of the underground)Counter1

삼 호선을 타고 가요.I go on Line 3.

도degree (of temperature)Counter1

오늘은 삼십 도예요. 너무 더워요.It is thirty degrees today. It is too hot.

세years of age (formal)Counter1

이 수업은 칠 세부터 들을 수 있어요.Children can take this class from the age of seven.

Written and formal; in speech age is counted with native numbers and 살: 일곱 살.

쪽pageCounter1

오늘은 삼십 쪽까지 읽었어요.Today I read up to page 30.

회time; round; episodeCounter1

어제 이 드라마 일 회를 봤어요.Yesterday I watched episode 1 of this drama.

등place (in a ranking)Counter1

동생이 달리기에서 일 등을 했어요.My little brother came first in the race.

점point (score); decimal pointCounter1

시험에서 구십 점을 받았어요.I got ninety points in the test.

Also the decimal point: 삼 점 오 is 3.5.

박night (of a stay)Counter1

제주도에 이 박 삼 일로 가요.I am going to Jeju for three days and two nights.

Korean gives nights first, then days: 이 박 삼 일.

This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, time, verbs — 30 lists and 1195 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 39 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.