Numbers in Korean 1–100: Native and Sino-Korean
🇰🇷 Korean · 24 cards · A1 · by Alex Chernikov
Korean makes you learn two counting systems, and there is no shortcut around it. Native numbers (하나, 둘, 셋) count things, people, ages and the hour on the clock; Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼) handle money, dates, minutes, floors, phone numbers and anything above 99.
This deck gives you 1–10 in both systems, the native tens up to 아흔, and the Sino-Korean building blocks 십, 이십 and 백, so you can reach 100 either way. Read the notes: 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 and 스물 shorten before a counter (한 개, 두 명, 스무 살), and 육, 십 turn into 유월, 시월 in month names. Learn every number together with its counter — the counter is what decides the system.
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 24 cards
| # | Korean | Pronunciation | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 Native number. Becomes 한 before a counter: 한 개, 한 명, 한 시. | hana | one (native) | 사과 하나 주세요. One apple, please. | |
| 2 | 둘 Becomes 두 before a counter: 두 개, 두 명, 두 시. | dul | two (native) | 둘 다 마음에 들어요. I like both of them. | |
| 3 | 셋 Becomes 세 before a counter: 세 개, 세 명, 세 시. | set | three (native) | 셋까지 세고 출발할게요. I'll count to three and then start. | |
| 4 | 넷 Becomes 네 before a counter: 네 개, 네 명, 네 시. | net | four (native) | 우리 가족은 넷이에요. There are four of us in my family. | |
| 5 | 다섯 From five up, the number does not change shape before counters: 다섯 개, 다섯 명. | daseot | five (native) | 다섯 시에 만나요. Let's meet at five o'clock. | |
| 6 | 여섯 Before 명 it is pronounced [여선 명] (yeoseon myeong). | yeoseot | six (native) | 여섯 명이 신청했어요. Six people signed up. | |
| 7 | 일곱 Clock hours take native numbers (일곱 시), but minutes take Sino-Korean. | ilgop | seven (native) | 일곱 시간 자면 충분해요. Seven hours of sleep is enough for me. | |
| 8 | 여덟 The final ㅂ is not pronounced: [여덜] yeodeol. | yeodeol | eight (native) | 여덟 살부터 피아노를 쳤어요. I've played the piano since I was eight. | |
| 9 | 아홉 개 (gae), the all-purpose counter for objects, always takes native numbers. | ahop | nine (native) | 아홉 개 남았어요. There are nine left. | |
| 10 | 열 11–19 are 열 + unit: 열하나, 열둘, 열셋 … 열아홉. | yeol | ten (native) | 달걀 열 개 주세요. Ten eggs, please. | |
| 11 | 스물 Becomes 스무 before a counter: 스무 살, 스무 개. 21 is 스물하나. 동생 means a younger sibling of either gender. | seumul | twenty (native) | 동생이 올해 스물이 됐어요. My younger sibling turned twenty this year. | |
| 12 | 서른 The other native tens: 마흔 40, 쉰 50, 예순 60, 일흔 70, 여든 80, 아흔 90. Native counting stops at 아흔아홉 (99). | seoreun | thirty (native) | 서른 넘어서 운동을 시작했어요. I started working out after thirty. | |
| 13 | 일 Sino-Korean numbers are used for money, dates, minutes, phone numbers, floors and bus lines. 일월 = January. | il | one (Sino-Korean) | 일 번 버스 타면 돼요. You can take bus number 1. | |
| 14 | 이 Written the same as the demonstrative 이 ("this"); the counter after it shows that it is a number. | i | two (Sino-Korean) | 지하철 이 호선을 타세요. Take subway line 2. | |
| 15 | 삼 Exit numbers, room numbers and line numbers all take Sino-Korean numbers. | sam | three (Sino-Korean) | 삼 번 출구에서 만나요. Let's meet at exit 3. | |
| 16 | 사 사 is also the reading of 死 ("death"), so 4 is sometimes replaced by F on lift buttons. | sa | four (Sino-Korean) | 사 인분 주문할까요? Shall we order four portions? | |
| 17 | 오 Minutes (분) always take Sino-Korean numbers, even though hours take native ones. | o | five (Sino-Korean) | 오 분 뒤에 도착해요. I'll arrive in five minutes. | |
| 18 | 육 Irregular in month names: June is 유월 (yuwol), not 육월. | yuk | six (Sino-Korean) | 육 개월 동안 한국에 있었어요. I was in Korea for six months. | |
| 19 | 칠 Digits read out one by one — phone numbers, passwords, shirt numbers — are always Sino-Korean. | chil | seven (Sino-Korean) | 칠 번 선수가 골을 넣었어요. Player number seven scored a goal. | |
| 20 | 팔 Same syllable as 팔 ("arm"); the counter after it tells you it's a number. | pal | eight (Sino-Korean) | 팔 층까지 걸어 올라갔어요. I walked up to the eighth floor. | |
| 21 | 구 Dates use Sino-Korean: 구 일 (written 9일) = the 9th of the month. | gu | nine (Sino-Korean) | 구 일에 예약했어요. I made a reservation for the 9th. | |
| 22 | 십 11–19: 십일, 십이, 십삼 … 십구. October is irregular: 시월 (siwol), not 십월. | sip | ten (Sino-Korean) | 십 분만 쉴까요? Shall we take just a ten-minute break? | |
| 23 | 이십 Tens are unit + 십: 삼십 30, 사십 40, 오십 50, 육십 60, 칠십 70, 팔십 80, 구십 90. 이십오 = 25. | isip | twenty (Sino-Korean) | 이십 대 초반으로 보여요. You look like you're in your early twenties. | |
| 24 | 백 Sino-Korean only — there is no native word for 100. 이백 200, 삼백 300. Say 백, not 일백, for a plain 100. | baek | hundred, 100 | 백 퍼센트 확실해요. I'm a hundred percent sure. |
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Questions about this deck
- When do I use native Korean numbers and when Sino-Korean?
- Native numbers (하나, 둘, 셋) count physical things, people, ages and the hour on the clock: 사과 세 개, 두 명, 스무 살, 다섯 시. Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼) are used for money, dates, minutes and seconds, phone numbers, floors, bus, line and exit numbers, measurements and anything above 99: 오 분, 삼 층, 만 원, 백. Learn the counter together with the number — the counter decides the system.
- Why does 하나 become 한 in 한 개?
- Native 1, 2, 3, 4 and 20 have short forms used directly before a counter: 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네, 스물→스무. So you say 한 개, 두 명, 세 시, 네 잔, 스무 살, but you use the full form when the number stands alone: 몇 개예요? — 하나요. Numbers from 다섯 on never change.
- How do I say numbers like 47 or 99 in Korean?
- Put the ten and the unit next to each other with nothing in between. Native: 마흔일곱 (47), 아흔아홉 (99) — 99 is the highest native number in normal use. Sino-Korean: 사십칠 (47), 구십구 (99). For ages, native number + 살 is the normal spoken form (마흔일곱 살), while Sino-Korean is used with 세 in formal writing (사십칠 세). For money, dates and phone numbers only Sino-Korean is possible.
- Which numbers are irregular in Korean month names?
- Two: June is 유월, not 육월, and October is 시월, not 십월 — the final consonant drops. Every other month is regular Sino-Korean number + 월: 일월, 이월, 삼월, 사월, 오월, 칠월, 팔월, 구월, 십일월, 십이월. Days of the month are regular Sino-Korean too: 일 일 (1st), 이 일 (2nd), 삼십일 일 (31st).
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