11 min read
Learning Korean numbers native and Sino means learning 2 systems. Native 하나, 둘 count things, and Sino 일, 이 read prices. You use native numbers for hours, age and most everyday counting, and Sino-Korean numbers for minutes, money, dates, phone numbers, floors and anything above 99.
Every learner trips over this at first. The good news is the split follows a small set of rules, and once you know which counter word comes after the number, the right system usually picks itself.
Key takeaways
- 3:30 is 세 시 삼십 분 (se si samsip bun): native for the hour, Sino for the minutes, in a single phrase.
- Native numbers stop at 99 (아흔아홉, aheun-ahop). From 100 up, everyone switches to Sino 백 (baek).
- Korean groups big numbers by 4 digits, so 10,000 is one word, 만 (man), and 15,000 won is 만 오천 원 (man ocheon won).
- Before a counter, 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 and 스물 shrink to 한, 두, 세, 네 and 스무: two coffees is 커피 두 잔, never 둘 잔.
How Korean numbers native and Sino differ
Sino-Korean numbers (한자어 수사) come from Chinese characters, which is why 일, 이, 삼 sound close to Chinese yi, er, san and to Japanese ichi, ni, san. Native Korean numbers (고유어 수사) are the older homegrown set, 하나, 둘, 셋, and Koreans count on their fingers with them.
You need both from day one. The way to think about it: native numbers answer “how many?” for small, physical things, and Sino numbers handle anything that works like a label, a measurement or money.
| Number | Sino-Korean | Romanization | Native Korean | Romanization | Native form before a counter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 영 / 공 | yeong / gong | (none) | – | – |
| 1 | 일 | il | 하나 | hana | 한 (han) |
| 2 | 이 | i | 둘 | dul | 두 (du) |
| 3 | 삼 | sam | 셋 | set | 세 (se) |
| 4 | 사 | sa | 넷 | net | 네 (ne) |
| 5 | 오 | o | 다섯 | daseot | 다섯 |
| 6 | 육 | yuk | 여섯 | yeoseot | 여섯 |
| 7 | 칠 | chil | 일곱 | ilgop | 일곱 |
| 8 | 팔 | pal | 여덟 | yeodeol | 여덟 |
| 9 | 구 | gu | 아홉 | ahop | 아홉 |
| 10 | 십 | sip | 열 | yeol | 열 |
If Hangul still slows you down, learn the alphabet first with our weekend Hangul plan. Numbers stick much faster once you can read them on a price tag.
Sino-Korean numbers from 1 to 100 and beyond
The Sino system is the easy one. It works like a calculator: you say the digit, then its place value. Learn ten digits and four place words and you can read any number in Korea.
How to build Sino-Korean numbers from 11 to 99
- 11 to 19: 십 + digit. 11 is 십일 (sibil), 15 is 십오 (sibo), 19 is 십구 (sipgu).
- Tens: digit + 십. 20 is 이십 (isip), 30 is 삼십 (samsip), 90 is 구십 (gusip).
- Everything between: 47 is 사십칠 (sasipchil), 99 is 구십구 (gusipgu).
A pronunciation catch: 육 (6) changes sound after another number. 16, 십육, is pronounced simnyuk, and 26, 이십육, is isimnyuk. Spelling stays the same, only the sound shifts.
Place words: 백, 천, 만, 억
100 is 백 (baek), 1,000 is 천 (cheon), 10,000 is 만 (man), and 100 million is 억 (eok). For 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 you drop the “one”: Koreans say 백, not 일백, and 만, not 일만. Only at 억 do you keep it: 일억 (ireok).
So 365 is 삼백육십오 (sambaek-yuksibo), and, as a round example, 2,500 is 이천오백 (icheon-obaek). Years are read the same way, with 년 (nyeon) added: the year 2000 is 이천 년 (icheon nyeon).
Native Korean numbers 1 to 99, and why they stop there
Native numbers take more memorizing because every ten has its own word, unrelated to the digits. You build 11 to 99 the same way, though: the ten, then the unit.
| Number | Native Korean | Romanization | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 열 | yeol | 열하나 (yeol-hana) = 11 |
| 20 | 스물 | seumul | 스물다섯 (seumul-daseot) = 25 |
| 30 | 서른 | seoreun | 서른둘 (seoreun-dul) = 32 |
| 40 | 마흔 | maheun | 마흔셋 (maheun-set) = 43 |
| 50 | 쉰 | swin | 쉰넷 (swin-net) = 54 |
| 60 | 예순 | yesun | 예순여섯 = 66 |
| 70 | 일흔 | ilheun | 일흔일곱 = 77 |
| 80 | 여든 | yeodeun | 여든여덟 = 88 |
| 90 | 아흔 | aheun | 아흔아홉 = 99 |
Native Korean once had words for 100 and 1,000, but they dropped out of everyday use long ago. Today 99 is the ceiling. Past it, you say 백 and carry on in Sino.
The shortened forms before counters
Five native numbers lose their last sound when a counter follows: 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, 넷 becomes 네, and 스물 becomes 스무. The rule holds inside bigger numbers too, so 21 people is 스물한 명 (seumul-han myeong) and 20 people is 스무 명 (seumu myeong).
On the street, Koreans often swap to Sino for large native counts. 서른 명 and 삼십 명 (30 people) both sound normal, and the Sino version gets more common the bigger the number. If you’re unsure above 20 or so, Sino rarely sounds wrong for a crowd.
How the 만 (10,000) unit works for big Korean numbers
Big numbers are where English speakers get lost. English groups digits in threes (thousand, million, billion), and Korean groups them in fours (만, 억, 조). Ten thousand is one word, and one million is “a hundred ten-thousands,” 백만 (baengman).
| Number | English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | ten thousand | 만 | man |
| 100,000 | one hundred thousand | 십만 | simman |
| 1,000,000 | one million | 백만 | baengman |
| 10,000,000 | ten million | 천만 | cheonman |
| 100,000,000 | one hundred million | 일억 | ireok |
| 1,000,000,000,000 | one trillion | 일조 | iljo |
A worked example: reading 1,250,000 won
Ignore the commas and count four digits in from the right. 1,250,000 becomes 125 | 0000. The left block, 125, is 백이십오 (baek-isibo), and the 0000 block is the 만 slot. So the number is 백이십오만 원 (baek-isibo-man won).
Try a round example: 35,000. Split it as 3 | 5000. That’s 삼만 (samman) plus 오천 (ocheon), so 삼만 오천 원. With a few dozen reps, the four-digit split starts to feel automatic.
The same logic explains Korean business headlines. Company results and national budgets get reported in 억 and 조 won, so a figure written as 3조 means three trillion won, not three million.
Which Korean number system to use: time, age, money, phone numbers
This is the table worth saving. The rule underneath it: hours, age and small counts of things go native; minutes, money, dates, labels and measurements go Sino.
| Situation | System | Example | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours on the clock | Native | 세 시 (3 o’clock) | se si |
| Minutes and seconds | Sino | 삼십 분 (30 minutes) | samsip bun |
| Age (everyday) | Native + 살 | 스물다섯 살 (25) | seumul-daseot sal |
| Age (formal forms) | Sino + 세 | 이십오 세 | isibo se |
| Money | Sino + 원 | 오천 원 (5,000 won) | ocheon won |
| Phone numbers | Sino, digit by digit | 공일공 (010) | gong-il-gong |
| Dates: year, month, day | Sino | 삼월 십오 일 (March 15) | samwol sibo il |
| Floors, rooms, exits, bus lines | Sino | 오 층 (5th floor) | o cheung |
| Counting objects, people, animals | Native + counter | 두 개 (2 items) | du gae |
| Food servings | Sino + 인분 | 이 인분 (2 servings) | i inbun |
How to tell time in Korean
Time mixes both systems in one breath. The hour is native, the minute is Sino: 2:45 is 두 시 사십오 분 (du si sasibo bun). Half past uses 반 (ban, half), so 7:30 can be 일곱 시 반. Put 오전 (ojeon, a.m.) or 오후 (ohu, p.m.) in front: 오후 세 시 is 3 p.m.
Durations follow the same split. Two hours is 두 시간 (du sigan), with native, and 20 minutes is 이십 분, with Sino.
How to say your age in Korean
In conversation, use native numbers with 살: 서른 살 (seoreun sal) is 30. You’ll see the Sino version with 세 on forms, medical paperwork and in news reports. South Korea moved official ages to the international count in June 2023, which our guide to Korean age vs international age explains.
How to read prices in Korean won
Money is always Sino, and it almost always involves 만. A 4,500 won coffee is 사천오백 원 (sacheon-obaek won). A 15,000 won meal is 만 오천 원 (man ocheon won), with no 일 in front of 만.
How to say phone numbers in Korean
Read phone numbers one Sino digit at a time and use 공 (gong) for zero. 010-1234-5678 becomes 공일공, 일이삼사, 오육칠팔. The hyphen is often read as 에 (e), a short pause sound, or simply left as a pause. Use 영 (yeong) for zero in math, scores and temperatures.
Dates and the two irregular months
Months are Sino number + 월 (wol): 일월 is January, 삼월 is March. Two drop a sound to make them easier to say: June is 유월 (yuwol), not 육월, and October is 시월 (siwol), not 십월. Days are Sino + 일: the 25th is 이십오 일.
Korean counters: the word after the number picks the system
Korean rarely puts a bare number in front of a noun. It adds a counter, a small unit word, much like English “two cups of coffee” or “three sheets of paper.” Each counter belongs to one system, so learn them in pairs.
- Native counters: 개 (gae, general things), 명 (myeong, people), 분 (bun, people, honorific), 마리 (mari, animals), 잔 (jan, cups and glasses), 병 (byeong, bottles), 권 (gwon, books), 장 (jang, flat sheets and tickets), 시 (si, o’clock), 시간 (sigan, hours), 살 (sal, years of age), 번 (beon, times, as in “once”).
- Sino counters: 원 (won), 분 (bun, minutes), 초 (cho, seconds), 일 (il, days), 월 (wol, months), 개월 (gaewol, number of months), 년 (nyeon, years), 층 (cheung, floor), 호 (ho, room or unit), 번 (beon, number, as in line or exit), 인분 (inbun, servings), 학년 (hangnyeon, school year).
Watch 번 and 분, which belong to both camps. 한 번 (han beon, native) means “once,” while 일 번 (il beon, Sino) means “number one,” as in 3번 출구 (sam-beon chulgu, exit 3). 세 분 (se bun) is “three people” said politely, and 삼 분 (sam bun) is “three minutes.” The system you choose changes the meaning, so a wrong pick is more than an accent problem.
Months show the same split. “Three months” can be 세 달 (se dal, native) or 삼 개월 (sam gaewol, Sino). Both mean the same thing, and the counter tells you which numbers to use.
Practice examples: Korean numbers to read out loud
These are sentences you’d actually say in a café, a barbecue restaurant or a taxi. Read each line aloud and name the system before you check the romanization. Lines ending in 요 or 주세요 are polite and safe with strangers.
| English | Korean | Romanization | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two iced americanos, please | 아이스 아메리카노 두 잔 주세요 | aiseu amerikano du jan juseyo | Ordering at a café (polite), native + 잔 |
| Table for three | 세 명이요 | se myeong-iyo | When staff ask how many in your group (polite), native + 명 |
| Two servings of pork belly, please | 삼겹살 이 인분 주세요 | samgyeopsal i inbun juseyo | Korean barbecue (polite), Sino + 인분 |
| One more bottle of beer, please | 맥주 한 병 더 주세요 | maekju han byeong deo juseyo | Restaurants and bars (polite), native + 병 |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요? | eolmayeyo? | Any shop or market stall (polite) |
| It’s 12,500 won | 만 이천오백 원이에요 | man icheon-obaek won-ieyo | What you’ll hear back; Sino + 원 |
| See you at 6:30 | 여섯 시 반에 봐요 | yeoseot si ban-e bwayo | Making plans (polite casual), native hour + 반 |
| Meet at exit 4, please | 사 번 출구에서 만나요 | sa beon chulgu-eseo mannayo | Subway meetups (polite), Sino + 번 |
| I’m 28 | 스물여덟 살이에요 | seumul-yeodeol sal-ieyo | Introducing yourself (polite), native + 살 |
| One more time, please | 한 번 더 말해 주세요 | han beon deo malhae juseyo | When you didn’t catch a number (polite) |
For more lines you’ll use on a trip, pair this with our basic Korean phrases for travelers.
Common mistakes learners make with Korean numbers
Saying 일만 instead of 만
It’s the most common money mistake. 10,000 is 만, and 10,000 won is 만 원. 일만 is technically correct and shows up in formal writing, but in speech it sounds stiff. The same goes for 십, 백 and 천: no 일 in front.
Using the full native form before a counter
하나 개 and 둘 명 are wrong. Before a counter it’s always 한 개 and 두 명. Drill the five short forms (한, 두, 세, 네, 스무) until they come out on their own.
Mixing up hours and minutes
삼 시 for 3 o’clock is a classic beginner error, and Koreans will understand you, but it sounds off. Hours are native (세 시) and minutes are Sino (삼 분). If you only memorize one rule from this page, make it that one.
Reading big numbers in English thousands
Trying to translate 150,000 as “one hundred fifty thousand” into Korean word by word leads to tangles. Split by four digits instead: 15 | 0000 gives 십오만 (sibo-man). This matters most when you check a hotel bill or a phone plan quoted in won.
Forgetting 유월 and 시월
육월 and 십월 look logical, but nobody says them. June is 유월 and October is 시월, on calendars, tickets and in speech.
Counting on fingers the Western way
This one is about gestures. Many Koreans count by folding fingers down from an open hand, starting with the thumb, instead of raising fingers from a fist. Don’t panic if a vendor’s finger count looks backwards to you; check the number they say out loud, or the screen.
FAQ
Why does Korean have two number systems?
Korean took in a large layer of vocabulary from Chinese over many centuries, numbers included, and kept its own native set as well. Over time each system settled into its own jobs. Native numbers stayed with everyday counting, and Sino numbers took over math, money, dates and anything large.
Which Korean number system should I learn first?
Learn Sino-Korean 1 to 10 first, because it covers money, phone numbers, dates and every number above 99 with just a few place words. Then learn native 1 to 10 and the five short forms before counters. That’s enough for cafés, restaurants and telling time, and you can add native tens (스물, 서른) later.
How do you say 100 in native Korean?
In modern Korean you don’t. The old native words for 100 and above are no longer used in everyday speech, so native numbers stop at 99, 아흔아홉. For 100 and up, use Sino 백 (baek), even with counters that normally take native numbers, as in 백 명 (100 people).
Is it 영 or 공 for zero in Korean?
Both, depending on the context. 공 (gong) is used when reading digits aloud, like phone numbers, room numbers and bus lines. 영 (yeong) is used in math, temperatures and sports scores. If you’re reading out a code digit by digit, 공 is the safe choice.
How do you say 3:30 in Korean?
Say 세 시 삼십 분 (se si samsip bun), or the shorter 세 시 반 (se si ban), “three and a half.” Add 오전 for a.m. or 오후 for p.m. in front. The hour uses native 세 and the minutes use Sino 삼십.
How do Koreans say one million won?
One million is 백만 (baengman), literally “one hundred 만,” so one million won is 백만 원. Ten million is 천만 원, and one hundred million is 일억 원. The four-digit grouping is the key: count four zeros for each 만 step.
What to practice next with Korean numbers
Pick one daily habit that forces both systems. Read the time aloud in Korean every time you check your phone, hour native and minutes Sino, and you’ll get dozens of reps a day without opening a textbook.
For money, browse Korean online shops or menus and read the prices with the four-digit split until 만 comes out without thinking. Then add counters a few at a time, starting with 개, 명, 잔 and 병, since those cover most of what you’ll say ordering food. When you’re ready for the social side of speaking, our Korean honorifics guide explains why 세 분 sounds more polite than 세 명, and who to say it to.
Related reading
Sources k-korea.blog
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