Chapter 11: Counting in Korean — Native Numbers
Part 1: Native Korean Numbers 1–10
Korean has two number systems:
- Native Korean Numbers: Used for counting people, things, age, hours, and some quantities
- Sino-Korean Numbers: Used for dates, money, addresses, phone numbers (we'll learn these in Chapter 12)
This chapter focuses on Native Korean Numbers. They sound more melodic, more organic to the language. When you count people or objects, you're using the sounds of Korean history itself.
Native Korean Numbers: 1–10
Pro Tip — Memorization Hack: Say each number out loud 5 times. Native Korean numbers are made to be sung. They have rhythm and melody built in. Your ear will remember them faster than your eyes.
Part 2: Native Korean Numbers 11–20 & The Tens
11–20: The Pattern Emerges
Once you hit 11, the pattern is simple: 열 (10) + the next number.
The Tens: 20–90
Notice: 20 has its own word (스물), unlike English where "twenty" is basically "two-tens." Korean gives each tens digit its own unique name.
Combined Numbers: 21, 32, 45, etc.
Pattern: Tens digit + ones digit (no connecting word needed).
Part 3: The Game-Changer — Counter Forms
🚨 THIS IS CRITICAL FOR BEGINNERS: When numbers come directly before a counter (명, 개, 살, 시간, etc.), they change form. You don't use the standalone number. You use a modified version.
Numbers That Change Before Counters
Why This Matters
In English, we say "one apple, two apples, three apples" — the number never changes. Korean isn't like that. The number adapts to the thing being counted. This is called sound harmony or allophony — the language smooths out awkward sounds.
❌ WRONG:
하나 명 (literally correct but sounds harsh)
✓ CORRECT:
한 명 (flows naturally)
문법 연습 (Grammar Practice)
Exercise 1: 숫자를 쓰십시오 (Write the Number)
Write the Korean number for each. Then write the counter form (before 명):
Example: 1 → 하나 (standalone) / 한 명 (before counter)
1. Number 2
Standalone: ____________________
Before counter: ____________________
2. Number 3
Standalone: ____________________
Before counter: ____________________
3. Number 4
Standalone: ____________________
Before counter: ____________________
4. Number 5
Standalone: ____________________
Before counter: ____________________
5. Number 20
Standalone: ____________________
Before counter: ____________________
Exercise 2: 여러 수를 조합하십시오 (Combine the Numbers)
Write these combined numbers in Korean:
1. 21 (20 + 1)
_____________________________
2. 34 (30 + 4)
_____________________________
3. 52 (50 + 2)
_____________________________
4. 67 (60 + 7)
_____________________________
Exercise 3: 카운터를 사용하여 문장을 만드십시오 (Use Counters to Make Sentences)
Fill in the blanks with the correct number + counter form. Use 명 (people) counter:
Example: 1 person = 한 명이 있습니다. (There is one person.)
1. 2 people
_____________ 이 있습니다.
2. 3 people
_____________ 이 있습니다.
3. 4 people
_____________ 이 있습니다.
4. 5 people
_____________ 이 있습니다.
📖 Reading Comprehension: 우리 그룹 (Our Group)
Read this passage about people in different groups. Pay attention to how numbers + counters are used. Then answer the questions.
친구들의 나이와 그룹 (Friends' Ages and Groups)
1. 한국어 수업에 학생이 열 명이 있습니다. 그 중에 남자는 다섯 명이고, 여자는 다섯 명입니다.
There are 10 students in the Korean class. Five of them are male, and five are female.
2. 서울에 일곱 명의 친구가 있습니다. 우리는 매일 만납니다. 그들의 나이는 스물한 살부터 스물다섯 살입니다.
I have seven friends in Seoul. We see each other every day. Their ages range from twenty-one to twenty-five.
3. 우리 회사에는 직원이 스무 명이 있습니다. 서울에 열다섯 명, 부산에 다섯 명입니다.
Our company has twenty employees. Fifteen are in Seoul, and five are in Busan.
4. 노래방에서 친구 여섯 명이 노래를 불렀습니다. 너무 재미있었습니다!
Six friends sang at the noraebang. It was so much fun!
Exercise 4: 질문에 답하십시오 (Answer the Questions)
1. 한국어 수업에 몇 명의 학생이 있습니까?
How many students are there in the Korean class?
_______________________________________
2. 서울에 몇 명의 친구가 있습니까?
How many friends do you have in Seoul?
_______________________________________
3. 회사에는 전부 몇 명의 직원이 있습니까?
How many employees are there at the company in total?
_______________________________________
4. 노래방에서 누가 노래를 불렀습니까?
Who sang at the noraebang?
_______________________________________
Exercise 5: 참/거짓 (True/False)
Write 참 (true) or 거짓 (false):
1. 한국어 수업에는 남자가 열 명입니다.
There are 10 males in the Korean class.
참 (True) 거짓 (False)
2. 회사의 부산 지점에는 다섯 명이 있습니다.
The Busan branch has five employees.
참 (True) 거짓 (False)
문화적 미묘함 (Cultural Nuance)
Why Korean Has Two Number Systems
This is one of Korean's most fascinating quirks. Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋) are ancient, probably connected to Old Korean before Chinese cultural influence. Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼) came from Chinese centuries ago.
Instead of choosing one and discarding the other, Korean kept both. They evolved to serve different purposes:
- Native Korean: Feels warm, personal, intimate. Used for counting living things or personal experiences (people, age, hours spent)
- Sino-Korean: Feels formal, precise, technical. Used for dates, money, phone numbers, floors in buildings
In a way, this mirrors Korean culture itself — the balance between warmth and formality, tradition and modernity. You're learning both systems because Korean speakers need both.
Fun fact: When a Korean person tells you their age, they use native numbers. But when writing it on an official form, they use sino-Korean. The same person, two systems, depending on context. This is the essence of Korean linguistic precision.
Bringing It All Together
You now know how to:
- ✓ Count from 1 to 90 in native Korean
- ✓ Combine tens and ones (21, 34, 52, etc.)
- ✓ Transform numbers before counters (하나 → 한, 둘 → 두, etc.)
- ✓ Use numbers with the counter 명 (people)
The counter system doesn't stop at 명. There are counters for objects (개), animals (마리), thin flat things (장), bound things (권 for books), and dozens more. But 명 is the one you'll use most because in every conversation, you're counting people.
Your Turn: How Many?
Try this: Write down 5 numbers between 1 and 90 in Korean (both standalone form). Then write them with the counter 명 (people). Say each one out loud.
Example: 하나 / 한 명
Share in the comments: Tell us a number you want to practice. Any specific number between 1 and 90? We'll all say it together.
💭 From Wookie
Numbers aren't abstract symbols in Korean. They're alive. They change shape. They dance with the things they're counting. This is why Korean feels like a living language — everything adapts, everything flows. By Chapter 12, you'll understand why this matters.
Stuck on counter forms? Say the numbers out loud. Your ear is smarter than you think.
📚 Answer Key
Exercise 1 Answers (Standalone & Counter Forms):
- Standalone: 둘 | Before counter: 두 명
- Standalone: 셋 | Before counter: 세 명
- Standalone: 넷 | Before counter: 네 명
- Standalone: 다섯 | Before counter: 다섯 명 (no change)
- Standalone: 스물 | Before counter: 스무 명
Exercise 2 Answers (Combined Numbers):
- 스물하나 (seumulhana)
- 서른넷 (seoreunnet)
- 쉰둘 (swindul)
- 예순일곱 (yesunilgop)
Exercise 3 Answers (Using Counters):
- 두 명이 있습니다.
- 세 명이 있습니다.
- 네 명이 있습니다.
- 다섯 명이 있습니다.
Exercise 4 Answers:
- 열 명입니다. (Ten students.)
- 일곱 명입니다. (Seven friends.)
- 스무 명입니다. (Twenty employees.)
- 친구 여섯 명이 노래를 불렀습니다. (Six friends sang.)
Exercise 5 True/False Answers:
- 거짓 (False — there are 5 males, not 10)
- 참 (True — the Busan branch has 5 employees)
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