Korean Numbers Made Simple

1-10

Basic numbers: 일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam), 사 (sa), 오 (o), 육 (yuk), 칠 (chil), 팔 (pal), 구 (gu), 십 (sip)

These vocabulary words are the foundation for all other numbers.

11-19

Formation: 십 (sip) + ones digit

Numbers from 11 to 19 are formed by adding digits 1-9 to 십 (sip, ten). For example: 11 is 십일 (sip-il, "ten-one") and 19 is 십구 (sip-gu, "ten-nine").

20-99

Formation: tens digit + 십 (sip) + [ones digit]

Tens numbers are formed by placing the tens digit before 십 (sip). For example: 20 is 이십 (i-sip, "two-ten"). Numbers like 21 or 99 simply add the ones digit at the end: 21 = 이십일 (i-sip-il, "two-ten-one"), 99 = 구십구 (gu-sip-gu, "nine-ten-nine").

100

백 (baek)

In Korean, the number 100 is expressed as 백 (baek).

0

Two words for zero: 영 (yeong) and 공 (gong)

영 (yeong) is used in mathematics and for temperatures. 공 (gong), which means "ball," is frequently used in phone numbers.

Sino-Korean (한자어 수)

Used for dates (년/월/일), minutes/seconds (분/초), money (원), phone numbers, lines/floors (호/호선/층), school years (학년), months (월), measurements, math, and for 100+.

Native Korean (고유어 수)

Use up to 99, mainly with counters, for hours (시), age with 살, and frequency (한 번/두 번/세 번). Short forms before counters: 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네, 스물→스무.

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100

백 (baek)

The number 100 is expressed as 백 (baek). It continues with the same pattern: 이백 (i-baek) for 200, 삼백 (sam-baek) for 300, etc.

1.000

천 (cheon)

The number 1,000 is expressed as 천 (cheon). Thousands only go up to 9,000; from 10,000 onwards, the counting system begins with 만 (man).

10.000

만 (man)

From 10,000 onwards, Korean uses the unit 만 (man). For 10,000, you don't say ten times thousand, but rather one man (일만).

1.000.000

백만 (baek-man)

One million is expressed as 백만 (baek-man), which means one hundred times ten thousand.

100.000.000

억 (eok)

The unit 억 (eok) represents 100 million. Example: 300,000,000 = 삼억 (sam-eok).

1.000.000.000

십억 (sip-eok)

One billion is expressed as 십억 (sip-eok), which means ten times one hundred million.

• Sino-Korean:
  Dates (년/월/일), minutes/seconds (분/초), money (원), phone numbers, lines/floors (호/호선/층), school years (학년), months (월), measurements, math, 100+.
• Native Korean:
  Hours (시 → 한 시, 두 시 …), age with 살 (e.g., 스무 살), counting with counters (개/명/마리/권/대/잔/병 …), frequency (한 번/두 번/세 번).

• Counter words:
  Korean requires special counting words. You can't simply say "three floors". It's: 삼 층 (sam cheung). Sino-Korean numbers are used for floors, months, amounts of money, among others.
• Short forms before counters:
  Use 한, 두, 세, 네 and 스무 instead of 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, 스물. Examples: 세 시, 두 개, 스무 살.
• Native numbers cap at 99:
  For 100 and above, switch back to Sino-Korean (백, 천, 만 …).
• Time (hours):
  Hours use Native Korean; minutes use Sino-Korean.
  세 시 반 = 3:30 (se si ban)
  다섯 시 십 분 = 5:10 (daseot si sip bun)
• Age (살):
  스무 살 = 20 years (seumu sal)
  스물다섯 살 = 25 years (seumul-daseot sal)
• Lucky & unlucky numbers:
  The number 4 (사 sa) is considered unlucky because it sounds like "death." Often the 4th floor is skipped in buildings (sometimes labeled as "F" Floor).
• Age: 살 vs 세:
  Everyday speech often uses 살 (Native: 스무 살), while formal/official contexts use 세 (Sino).

• Phone numbers:
  Each digit is spoken individually: 010 1234 5678 = 공일공 일이삼사 오육칠팔 (gong-il-gong il-i-sam-sa o-yuk-chil-pal)
• Prices & money:
  Currency is Won (원).
  10,000원 = 만 원 (man won)
  7,500원 = 칠천오백 원 (chil-cheon-o-baek won)
• Dates & time:
  Year, month, day, minute and second are given with Sino-Korean numbers.
  2025년 8월 15일 = 이천이십오년 팔월 십오일 (i-cheon-i-sip-o-nyeon pal-wol sip-o-il)
  30분 10초 = 삼십 분 십 초 (sam-sip bun sip cho) → 30 minutes, 10 seconds
• Quantities (in certain contexts):
  Restaurant portions are often ordered with Sino-Korean numbers.
  3인분 (sam inbun) = three portions
  5호선 (o hoseon) = Line 5 (subway)
  Additionally, very common with Native + counters: 사과 다섯 개 (five apples), 학생 두 명 (two students), 고양이 세 마리 (three cats), 책 네 권 (four books).
• Frequency (번):
  한 번 = once, 두 번 = twice, 세 번 = three times
• Basic arithmetic:
  3 + 3 = 6 → 삼 더하기 삼은 육 (sam deohagi sam-eun yuk)
  10 - 4 = 6 → 십 빼기 사는 육 (sip bbaegi sa-neun yuk)
  5 × 5 = 25 → 오 곱하기 오는 이십오 (o gobhagi o-neun i-sip-o)
  12 ÷ 4 = 3 → 십이 나누기 사는 삼 (sip-i nanugi sa-neun sam)
• Fractions & decimals:
  ¼ = 사분의 일 (sabun-ui il)
  ½ = 이분의 일 (ibun-ui il)
  0.8 = 영점팔 (yeong-jeom-pal)

• The 10,000-based system:
  Like Chinese, large numbers are counted in groups of four. 10,000 is called 만 (man), 100 million is called 억 (eok). Example: 120,000 = 십이만 (sip-i-man), literally "twelve-ten thousand".
• Hanja number characters:
  Sino-Korean numbers derive from Chinese characters (Hanja). Sometimes you still see these on official documents or historical texts: e.g., 一 (일), 二 (이), 三 (삼).
• Cultural significance of numbers:
  The number 4 (사 sa) is often avoided because it sounds like "death." Numbers 3, 7, and 8, on the other hand, are often considered lucky numbers in Korea.

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