Counting to ten in Korean
One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers. Play the ten Korean words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Korean phrases in this lesson
- μΌil
- One
- μ΄i
- Two
- μΌsam
- Three
- μ¬sa
- Four
- μ€o
- Five
- μ‘yuk
- Six
- μΉ chil
- Seven
- νpal
- Eight
- ꡬgu
- Nine
- μsip
- Ten
Korean has two number systems. Sino-Korean numbers (μΌ, μ΄, μΌ...) are used for money, dates, phone numbers, and floors. Native Korean numbers (νλ, λ, μ ...) are used for counting objects and telling hours.
Sino-Korean two. When counting objects aloud, use the native form λ or λ before a counter. Both systems are essential and used daily in different contexts.
Sino-Korean three. Native Korean equivalent is μ or μΈ. You will hear μΌ constantly in phone numbers, prices, and addresses.
Sino-Korean four. The number four is associated with bad luck in Korean culture (as in Chinese), because it sounds like the word for death. Some buildings skip the fourth floor.
Sino-Korean five. Native Korean is λ€μ―. For prices and larger numbers, Sino-Korean is always used.
Sino-Korean ten. Numbers in Korean are built logically: μμΌ is eleven, μ΄μ is twenty. Knowing one through ten lets you say almost any number.