Korean count word

Template:Short description Template:Korean grammar The Korean language uses special measure words or counting words for specific objects and events.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> These suffixes are called subullyusa (Template:Korean) in Korean. They are similar to the ones employed in the Chinese and the Japanese languages.

In English it is "two sheets of paper", not "two papers". Analogously, in Korean jang (Template:Korean) is used to count sheets or anything that is a paper-like material, for example:

In fact, the meanings of counter words are frequently extended in metaphorical or other image-based ways. For instance, in addition to counting simply sheets of paper, jang in Korean can be used to refer to any number of thin, paper-like objects. Leaves (namunnip 나뭇잎) are counted using this count word. In this way, a particular count word may be used generally in a very open-ended manner and up to the construal or creativity of the speaker.

There are two systems of numerals in Korean: native Korean and Sino-Korean. Native Korean numerals are used with most counter words, and usually count the number of an object, while Sino-Korean numerals are generally used for indicating a specific object in series, such as a specific lesson in a book, as well as monetary units and scientific measurements. Sometimes both types of numerals may be used, usually native Korean numerals indicating a quantity and Sino-Korean numerals indicating an ordinal. For example:

There are exceptions, such as native Korean numbers being used with {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning "hour of the day". Additionally some counters (mostly those associated with traditional units) modify the pronunciation and spelling of the numerals that precede it, most notably 6월 is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and 10월 is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

List of count words

Some count words take native Korean numerals:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gagu	kaku	families (ie. 10 households live on this cul-de-sac)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gae	kae	'things' in general, often used as a coverall when the specific count word is unknown (for example, by children)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaeguk	kaeguk	countries
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaeso	kaeso	places
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	geon	kŏn	cases, matters, documents
Template:Wikt-lang		gorang	korang	ridges/furrows made for planting crops
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwa	kwa	lessons (if paired with Sino-Korean numeral, lesson number)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gu	ku	corpses
Template:Wikt-lang		gunde	kunde	places
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwon	kwŏn	books
Template:Wikt-lang		geuru	kŭru	trees, shrubs
Template:Wikt-lang		dabal	tabal	bunches of flowers or plants
Template:Wikt-lang		dan	tan	bunches of Welsh onions, green onions, newspaper columns
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	dae	tae	vehicles (cars, airplanes, etc.) and machinery (incl. computers)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	dong	tong	buildings
Template:Wikt-lang		mari	mari	animals
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mae	mae	sheets of paper, photos, stamps, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	myeong	myŏng	people (informal)
Template:Wikt-lang		mogeum	mogŭm	mouthfuls (of liquid or gas)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mun	mun	cannons, big guns
Template:Wikt-lang		bakwi	pak'wi	times circling around an area
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bal	pal	bullets, shells, arrows, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		baljjak	paljjak	steps
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bang	pang	shots fired from a gun or cannon; number of times explosives are set; jabs; photos shot; farts
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bae	pae	glass of (usually alcoholic) beverages
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bae	pae	bowing
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	beon	pŏn	times a task is done
Template:Wikt-lang		beol	pŏl	items of clothing
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bu	pu	copies of printed material
Template:Wikt-lang		bun	pun	people (honorific)
Template:Wikt-lang		ppyeom	ppyŏm	hand spans
Template:Wikt-lang		sal	sal	years old (generally avoided when using honorifics)
Template:Wikt-lang		song-i	songi	picked flowers, bunches of fruit (grapes, bananas, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	su	su	turns taken in Janggi or Go
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	su	su	poems, songs; also animals
Template:Wikt-lang		sul	sul	spoonfuls of food
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	si	si	hour (of the day)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sigan	sigan	hours (in length)
Template:Wikt-lang		al	al	small, round objects (especially fruits) or grains
Template:Wikt-lang		omkeum	omk'ŭm	handfuls
Template:Wikt-lang		jaru	charu	things with long handles (writing instruments, shovels, swords, and rifles), and by extension, knives and pistols
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jang	chang	thin, flat objects (such as sheets of paper, glass, steel)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jeong	chŏng	tablets of medicine
Template:Wikt-lang		jeom	chŏm	artworks, very small amounts, pieces of sliced or ripped-off flesh, drops of rain, stones in the game of Go on the board or captured from the opponent, or wisps of clouds or wind
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	je	che	dosage of traditional medicine
Template:Wikt-lang		jul	chul	lines or things aligned in a row (kimbap, desks, chairs, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang		jjok	jjok	pieces
Template:Wikt-lang		chae	ch'ae	houses (also buildings, large objects, furniture, blankets)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheok	ch'ŏk	boats and ships
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheop	ch'ŏp	packs of Korean herbal medicine
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tang	t'ang	number of times doing something, especially number of trips made
Template:Wikt-lang		tol	t'ol	grains
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tong	t'ong	letters, telegrams, telephone calls, e-mails, documents
Template:Wikt-lang		tong	t'ong	watermelons
Template:Wikt-lang		pan	p'an	number of games won or lost
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pyeon	p'yŏn	books, literary works, movies, plays, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		pogi	p'ogi	Chinese cabbages
Template:Wikt-lang		pun	p'un	pennies
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pil	p'il	uncut fabric, horses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pilji	p'ilji	fields, housing sites, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		hae	hae	earth's revolutions around the sun

Some count words take Sino-Korean numerals:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaenyeon	kaenyŏn	years
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaewol	kaewŏl	months
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwa	kwa	lesson number (native Korean for number of lessons)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gyo	kyo	number of times a draft has been proofread
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gyosi	kyosi	class number, class period number
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	nyeon	nyŏn	year (for dates; 2014년, 1998년)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mu	mu	ties (in a game)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	beom	pŏm	penalties for a major crime
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bun	pun	minute (of an hour)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bul	pul	dollar
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seok	sŏk	seats
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seon	sŏn	number of times elected to office; which term in a sequence a person has been in office
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seung	sŭng	victories (in sports)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sil	sil	rooms
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	won	wŏn	won
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	wol	wŏl	month (for dates; 일월: January, 이월: February, ...; note that 6월 is written and pronounced 유월 and 10월 is likewise 시월)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	wi	wi	of rank or order (e.g. 1위 = first rank or order)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	il	il	day (for dates)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jeom	chŏm	grade (100점)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jo	cho	article or clause
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jugi	chugi	years since a person's death (used on that death's anniversary)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ju-il	chuil	weeks
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jip	chip	publication number (e.g. Opus number, album, magazine issue)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cho	ch'o	second (of a minute)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	chok	ch'ok	candela
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	chon	ch'on	degree of kinship; also a short unit of measurement, comparable to an inch
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tan	t'an	number of a work in a series
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ho	ho	houses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	hoe	hoe	number of times

Some nouns can also function as counter words. Nouns that were already listed are not included:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gok	kok	songs
Template:Wikt-lang		geureut	kŭrŭt	bowls
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	byeong	pyŏng	bottles
Template:Wikt-lang		madi	madi	phrases, joints, body segments, musical measures, words
Template:Wikt-lang		saram	saram	people (informal)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sangja	sangja	boxes
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jan	chan	cups and glasses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheung	ch'ŭng	floors (of a building), layers
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tong	t'ong	containers, buckets

Some words are used for counting in multiples:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	geup	kŭp	20 fish
Template:Wikt-lang		daseu	tasŭ	dozen (abbreviated from English)
Template:Wikt-lang		boru	poru	bundle of 10 packs of cigarettes<ref group=notes>Typically, there are 20 cigarettes in a pack, and 10 packs in a bundle. 담배 스무 개비 = 담배 한 갑(匣), 담배 열 갑 = 담배 한 보루</ref>
Template:Wikt-lang		bari	pari	2,000 fish
Template:Wikt-lang		son	son	handfuls of fish (2 large, 4-5 small), typically mackerels or yellow croakers
Template:Wikt-lang		uri	uri	2,000 tiles
Template:Wikt-lang		jeop	chŏp	100 fruits (for example, dried persimmons), radishes, cabbages, or bulbs of garlic
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jok	chok	pairs (for items likes socks, shoes, gloves, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang		chuk	ch'uk	20 cuttlefish
Template:Wikt-lang		kyeolle	k'yŏlle	pairs of socks, shoes, gloves
Template:Wikt-lang		ko	k'o	twenty dried pollock
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ta	t'a	dozen
Template:Wikt-lang		tot	t'ot	one hundred sheets of laver
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pan	p'an	thirty eggs

See also

• Measure word
• Classifier (linguistics)

References

Template:Portal bar