Korean numerals

The Korean language has two regularly used sets of numerals: a native Korean system and Sino-Korean system. The native Korean number system is used for general counting, like counting up to 99. It is also used to count people, hours, objects, ages, and more. Sino-Korean numbers on the other hand are used for purposes such as dates, money, minutes, addresses, phone numbers, and numbers above 99.

Construction

For both native and Sino- Korean numerals, the teens (11 through 19) are represented by a combination of tens and the ones places. For instance, 15 would be sib-o (Template:Korean), but not usually il-sib-o in the Sino-Korean system, and yeol-daseot ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) in native Korean. Twenty through ninety are likewise represented in this place-holding manner in the Sino-Korean system, while Native Korean has its own unique set of words, as can be seen in the chart below. The grouping of large numbers in Korean follows the Chinese tradition of myriads (10000) rather than thousands (1000). The Sino-Korean system is nearly entirely based on the Chinese numerals.

The distinction between the two numeral systems is very important. Everything that can be counted will use one of the two systems, but seldom both. Sino-Korean words are sometimes used to mark ordinal usage: yeol beon ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) means "ten times" while sip beon (Template:Korean) means "number ten."

When denoting the age of a person, one will usually use sal ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) for the native Korean numerals, and se (Template:Korean) for Sino-Korean. For example, seumul-daseot sal ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and i-sib-o se (Template:Korean) both mean 'twenty-five-year-old'. See also East Asian age reckoning.

The Sino-Korean numerals are used to denote the minute of time. For example, sam-sib-o bun (Template:Korean) means "__:35" or "thirty-five minutes." The native Korean numerals are used for the hours in the 12-hour system and for the hours 0:00 to 12:00 in the 24-hour system. The hours 13:00 to 24:00 in the 24-hour system are denoted using both the native Korean numerals and the Sino-Korean numerals. For example, se si ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) means '03:00' or '3:00 a.m./p.m.' and sip-chil si (Template:Korean) or yeol-ilgop si ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) means '17:00'.

Some of the native numbers take a different form in front of measure words:

Number	Native Korean cardinals			Attributive forms of native Korean cardinals
	Hangul	McCune–Reischauer	Revised	Hangul	McCune–Reischauer	Revised
1	lang}}	hana		lang}}	han
2	lang}}	tul	dul	lang}}	tu	du
3	lang}}	set		lang}}	se
4	lang}}	net		lang}}	ne
20	lang}}	sŭmul	seumul	lang}}	sŭmu	seumu

The descriptive forms for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 20 are formed by "dropping the last letter" from the original native cardinal, so to speak. Examples:

• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} han beon ("once")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} du gae ("two things")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} se si ("three o'clock"), in contrast, in North Korea the Sino-Korean numeral {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "sam" would normally be used; making it {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "sam si"
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ne myeong ("four people")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} seumu mari ("twenty animals")

Something similar also occurs in some Sino-Korean cardinals:

• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} onyuwol ("May and June")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} yuwol ("June")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} siwol ("October")

The cardinals for three and four have alternative forms in front of some measure words:

• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} seok dal ("three months")
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} neok jan ("four cups")

Korean has several words formed with two or three consecutive numbers. Some of them have irregular or alternative forms.

• 한둘 handul ("one or two") / 한두 handu ("one or two" in front of measure words)
• 두셋 duset ("two or three") / 두세 duse ("two or three" in front of measure words)
• 서넛 seoneot ("three or four") / 서너 seoneo ("three or four" in front of measure words)
• 두서넛 duseoneot ("two or three or four") / 두서너 duseoneo ("two or three or four" in front of measure words)
• 너덧 neodeot, 네댓 nedaet, 네다섯 nedaseot, 너더댓 neodeodaet ("four or five")
• 대여섯 daeyeoseot, 대엿 daeyeot ("five or six")
• 예닐곱 yenilgop ("six or seven")
• 일고여덟 ilgoyeodeol, 일여덟 ilyeodeol ("seven or eight")
• 여덟아홉 yeodeolahop, 엳아홉 yeotahop ("eight or nine")

As for counting days in native Korean, another set of unique words are used:

• 하루 haru ("one day")
• 이틀 iteul ("two days")
• 사흘 saheul ("three days")
• 사나흘 sanaheul, 사날 sanal ("three or four days")
• 나흘 naheul ("four days")
• 네댓새 nedaessae, 너댓새 neodaessae, 너더댓새 neodeodaessae, 나달 nadal ("four or five days")
• 닷새 dassae ("five days")
• 대엿새 daeyeossae ("five or six days")
• 엿새 yeossae ("six days")
• 예니레 yenire ("six or seven days")
• 이레 ire ("seven days")
• 일여드레 ilyeodeure ("seven or eight days")
• 여드레 yeodeure ("eight days")
• 아흐레 aheure ("nine days")
• 열흘 yeolheul ("ten days")

The native Korean saheul (Template:Korean) is often misunderstood as the Sino-Korean sail (Template:Korean) due to similar sounds. The two words are different in origin and have different meanings.

Cardinal numerals

Number	Sino-Korean cardinal numbers			Native Korean cardinal numbers
	Hanja	Hangul	Romanization	Hangul	Romanization
0	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 5</ref>/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	yeong, ryeong / gong	—	—
1	lang}}	lang}}	il	lang}}	hana
2	lang}}	lang}}	i	lang}}	dul
3	lang}}	lang}}	sam	lang}}	set
4	lang}}	lang}}	sa	lang}}	net
5	lang}}	lang}}	o	lang}}	daseot
6	lang}}	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	yuk, ryuk	lang}}	yeoseot
7	lang}}	lang}}	chil	lang}}	ilgop
8	lang}}	lang}}	pal	lang}}	yeodeol
9	lang}}	lang}}	gu	lang}}	ahop
10	lang}}	lang}}	sip	lang}}	yeol
11	lang}}	lang}}	sip-il	lang}}	yeol-hana
12	lang}}	lang}}	sip-i	lang}}	yeol-dul
13	lang}}	lang}}	sip-sam	lang}}	yeol-set
14	lang}}	lang}}	sip-sa	lang}}	yeol-net
15	lang}}	lang}}	sip-o	lang}}	yeol-daseot
16	lang}}	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	sim-nyuk, sip-ryuk Template:Ref label	lang}}	yeol-yeoseot
17	lang}}	lang}}	sip-chil	lang}}	yeol-ilgop
18	lang}}	lang}}	sip-pal	lang}}	yeol-yeodeol
19	lang}}	lang}}	sip-gu	lang}}	yeol-ahop
20	lang}}	lang}}	i-sip	lang}}	seumul
30	lang}}	lang}}	sam-sip	lang}}	seoreun
40	lang}}	lang}}	sa-sip	lang}}	maheun
50	lang}}	lang}}	o-sip	lang}}	swin
60	lang}}	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	yuk-sip, ryuk-sip	lang}}	yesun
70	lang}}	lang}}	chil-sip	lang}}	ilheun
80	lang}}	lang}}	pal-sip	lang}}	yeodeun
90	lang}}	lang}}	gu-sip	lang}}	aheun
100	lang}}	lang}}	baek	lang}}Template:Ref label	on
1,000	lang}}	lang}}	cheon	lang}}Template:Ref label	jeumeun
10,000	lang}}	lang}}	man	lang}}Template:Ref label	gol
100,000,000	lang}}	lang}}	eok	—	—
1012	lang}}	lang}}	jo	—	—
1016	lang}}	lang}}	gyeong	—	—
1020	lang}}	lang}}	hae	—	—
1024	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	ja	—	—
1028	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	yang	—	—
1032	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	gu	—	—
1036	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	gan	—	—
1040	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	jeong	—	—
1044	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	jae	—	—
1048	lang}}	극Template:Ref label	geuk	—	—
1052 or 1056	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	hanghasa	—	—
1056 or 1064	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	aseunggi	—	—
1060 or 1072	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	nayuta	—	—
1064 or 1080	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	bulgasaui	—	—
1068 or 1088	lang}}	lang}}Template:Ref label	muryangdaesu	—	—

Larger numbers

In numbers above 10, elements are combined from largest to smallest, and zeros are implied. Hanja and Hangul numerals are both multiplicative additive rather than positional; to write the number 20 you get the character for two (二/이) and then the character for ten (十/십) to get two tens or twenty (二十/이십).

Pronunciation

The initial consonants of measure words and numbers following the native cardinals {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('eight', only when the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is not pronounced) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('ten') become tensed consonants when possible. Thus for example:

• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (twelve) is pronounced like {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (eight (books)) is pronounced like {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}

Several numerals have long vowels, namely {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (two), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (three) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (four), but these become short when combined with other numerals / nouns (such as in twelve, thirteen, fourteen and so on).

The usual liaison and consonant-tensing rules apply, so for example, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} yesun-yeoseot (sixty-six) is pronounced like {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (yesun-nyeoseot) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} chil-sip (seventy) is pronounced like {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} chil-ssip.

Constant suffixes used in Sino-Korean ordinal numerals

Beon (Template:Korean), ho (Template:Korean), cha (Template:Korean), and hoe (Template:Korean) are always used with Sino-Korean or Arabic ordinal numerals. For example, Yihoseon (Template:Korean) is Line Number Two in a metropolitan subway system. Samsipchilbeongukdo (Template:Korean) is highway number 37. They cannot be used interchangeably.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is 'Apt #906' in a mailing address. 906 without ho ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is not used in spoken Korean to imply apartment number or office suite number. The special prefix je (Template:Korean) is usually used in combination with suffixes to designate a specific event in sequential things such as the Olympics.

Substitution for disambiguation

In commerce or the financial sector, some Hanja for each Sino-Korean numbers are replaced by alternative ones to prevent ambiguity or retouching.

English	Hangul	Hanja	Financial Hanja
one	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 1</ref>
two	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 1</ref>
three	lang}}	lang}}	參<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 1</ref>
four	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
five	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 3</ref>
six	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 7</ref>
seven	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 4</ref>
eight	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 8</ref>
nine	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 2</ref>
ten	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 3a</ref>
hundred	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 1</ref>
thousand	lang}}	lang}}	lang}},<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 1</ref> 阡<ref>NAVER Hanja Dictionary, definition 6</ref>

For verbally communicating number sequences such as phone numbers, ID numbers, etc., especially over the phone, native Korean numbers for 1 and 2 are sometimes substituted for the Sino-Korean numbers. For example, o-o-o hana-dul-hana-dul ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) instead of o-o-o il-i-il-i ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) for '555-1212', or sa-o-i-hana ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) instead of sa-o-i-il ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) for '4521', because of the potential confusion between the two similar-sounding Sino-Korean numbers.

For the same reason, military transmissions are known to use mixed native Korean and Sino-Korean numerals:

Notes

• Note 1: ^{{#if:| }} Korean assimilation rules apply as if the underlying form were {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} |sip.ryuk|, giving sim-nyuk instead of the expected sib-yuk.
• Note 2: ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} These names are considered archaic, and are not used.
• Note 3: ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} The numbers higher than 10²⁰ (hae) are not usually used.
• Note 4: ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} ^{{#if:| }} The names for these numbers are from Buddhist texts; they are not usually used. Dictionaries sometimes disagree on which numbers the names represent.

References

• J.J. Song The Korean language: Structure, Use and Context (2005 Routledge) pp. 81ff.

See also

• Korean language
• Korean count word