Master Korean Numbers
Korean has two complete number systems used in daily life: Sino-Korean (from Chinese characters) for dates, money, and phone numbers, and native Korean for counting objects and telling age. Native Korean numbers only go up to 99, after which Sino-Korean takes over. Korean also counts in units of 10,000 (만/man) rather than 1,000 — so one million is "100 man" (백만), not "one thousand thousands."
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Korean Phone Numbers
How phone numbers work in South Korea & how locals say them
| Numeral | Hanja | Sino-Korean | Native Korean | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 零/〇 | 공 (gong)
영 (yeong)
제로 (jero) | ||
| 1 | 一 | 일 (il) | 하나 (hana) | 첫째 (cheotjae) |
| 2 | 二 | 이 (i) | 둘 (dul) | 둘째 (duljae) |
| 3 | 三 | 삼 (sam) | 셋 (set) | 셋째 (setjae) |
| 4 | 四 | 사 (sa) | 넷 (net) | 넷째 (netjae) |
| 5 | 五 | 오 (o) | 다섯 (daseot) | 다섯째 (daseotjae) |
| 6 | 六 | 육 (yuk) | 여섯 (yeoseot) | 여섯째 (yeoseotjae) |
| 7 | 七 | 칠 (chil) | 일곱 (ilgop) | 일곱째 (ilgopjae) |
| 8 | 八 | 팔 (pal) | 여덟 (yeodeol) | 여덟째 (yeodeoljae) |
| 9 | 九 | 구 (gu) | 아홉 (ahop) | 아홉째 (ahopjae) |
| 10 | 十 | 십 (ship) | 열 (yeol) | 열째 (yeoljae) |
| 11 | 十一 | 십일 (shipil) | 열하나 (yeolhana) | 열한째 (yeolhanjae) |
| 12 | 十二 | 십이 (shipi) | 열둘 (yeoldul) | 열둘째 (yeolduljae) |
| 13 | 十三 | 십삼 (shipsam) | 열셋 (yeolset) | 열셋째 (yeolsetjae) |
| 14 | 十四 | 십사 (shipsa) | 열넷 (yeolnet) | 열넷째 (yeolnetjae) |
| 15 | 十五 | 십오 (shipo) | 열다섯 (yeoldaseot) | 열다섯째 (yeoldaseotjae) |
| 16 | 十六 | 십육 (shipnyuk) | 열여섯 (yeolyeoseot) | 열여섯째 (yeolyeoseotjae) |
| 17 | 十七 | 십칠 (shipchil) | 열일곱 (yeolilgop) | 열일곱째 (yeolilgopjae) |
| 18 | 十八 | 십팔 (ship-pal) | 열여덟 (yeolyeodeol) | 열여덟째 (yeolyeodeoljae) |
| 19 | 十九 | 십구 (shipgu) | 열아홉 (yeolahop) | 열아홉째 (yeolahopjae) |
| 20 | 二十 | 이십 (eeship) | 스물 (seumul) | 스무째 (seumujae) |
| 30 | 三十 | 삼십 (samship) | 서른 (seoreun) | 서른째 (seoreunjae) |
| 40 | 四十 | 사십 (saship) | 마흔 (maheun) | 마흔째 (maheunjae) |
| 50 | 五十 | 오십 (oship) | 쉰 (swin) | 쉰째 (swinjae) |
| 60 | 六十 | 육십 (yukship) | 예순 (yesun) | 예순째 (yesunjae) |
| 70 | 七十 | 칠십 (chilship) | 일흔 (ilheun) | 일흔째 (ilheunjae) |
| 80 | 八十 | 팔십 (palship) | 여든 (yeodeun) | 여든째 (yeodeunjae) |
| 90 | 九十 | 구십 (guship) | 아흔 (aheun) | 아흔째 (aheunjae) |
| 100 | 百 | 백 (baek) | 온 (on) | 온째 (onjae)
백째 (baekjae) |
| 200 | 二百 | 이백 (ibaek) | 이백째 (ibaekjae) | |
| 300 | 三百 | 삼백 (sambaek) | 삼백째 (sambaekjae) | |
| 400 | 四百 | 사백 (sabaek) | 사백째 (sabaekjae) | |
| 500 | 五百 | 오백 (obaek) | 오백째 (obaekjae) | |
| 600 | 六百 | 육백 (yukbaek) | 육백째 (yukbaekjae) | |
| 700 | 七百 | 칠백 (chilbaek) | 칠백째 (chilbaekjae) | |
| 800 | 八百 | 팔백 (palbaek) | 팔백째 (palbaekjae) | |
| 900 | 九百 | 구백 (gubaek) | 구백째 (gubaekjae) | |
| 1,000 | 千 | 천 (cheon) | 즈믄 (jeumeun) | 천째 (cheonjae) |
| 2,000 | 二千 | 이천 (icheon) | 이천째 (icheonjae) | |
| 3,000 | 三千 | 삼천 (samcheon) | 삼천째 (samcheonjae) | |
| 4,000 | 四千 | 사천 (sacheon) | 사천째 (sacheonjae) | |
| 5,000 | 五千 | 오천 (ocheon) | 오천째 (ocheonjae) | |
| 6,000 | 六千 | 육천 (yukcheon) | 육천째 (yukcheonjae) | |
| 7,000 | 七千 | 칠천 (chilcheon) | 칠천째 (chilcheonjae) | |
| 8,000 | 八千 | 팔천 (palcheon) | 팔천째 (palcheonjae) | |
| 9,000 | 九千 | 구천 (gucheon) | 구천째 (gucheonjae) | |
| 10,000 | 萬 | 만 (man) | 드먼 (deumeon) 골 (gol) | 만째 (manjae) |
| 20,000 | 二萬 | 이만 (iman) | 이만째 (imanjae) | |
| 30,000 | 三萬 | 삼만 (samman) | 삼만째 (sammanjae) | |
| 40,000 | 四萬 | 사만 (saman) | 사만째 (samanjae) | |
| 50,000 | 五萬 | 오만 (oman) | 오만째 (omanjae) | |
| 60,000 | 六萬 | 육만 (yukman) | 육만째 (yukmanjae) | |
| 70,000 | 七萬 | 칠만 (chilman) | 칠만째 (chilmanjae) | |
| 80,000 | 八萬 | 팔만 (palman) | 팔만째 (palmanjae) | |
| 90,000 | 九萬 | 구만 (guman) | 구만째 (gumanjae) | |
| 100,000 | 十萬 | 십만 (sipman) | 십만째 (sipmanjae) | |
| 1 million | 百萬 | 백만 (baekman) | 백만째 (baekmanjae) | |
| 10 million | 千萬 | 천만 (cheonman) | 천만째 (cheonmanjae) | |
| 23,456,789 | 이천 삼백 사십 오만 육천 칠백 팔십 구 | |||
| 100 million | 億 | 억 (eok) | 잘 (jal) | 억째 (eokjae) |
| 1 trillion | 兆 | 조 (jo) | 울 (ul) | 조째 (jojae) |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.
What Makes Korean Numbers Challenging
Two complete number systems (Sino-Korean and native Korean) must be used in the right contexts — using the wrong one sounds unnatural. Native Korean numbers change form when combined with counters (hana becomes han, dul becomes du, set becomes se). Like Japanese, Korean groups large numbers by 10,000 (만/man), requiring English speakers to mentally regroup. Sino-Korean numbers are short monosyllables (il, i, sam) that can blur together at speed. Knowing which system to use (Sino for dates/money/phone, native for counting/age) is essential.
Tips for Learning Korean Numbers
Learn Sino-Korean numbers first — they are simpler, shorter, and cover phone numbers, dates, prices, and addresses. Then learn native Korean 1-99 for counting objects and telling age. Practice the man (10,000) grouping system with Korean won amounts (prices are usually in thousands or ten-thousands). For phone numbers, Sino-Korean is always used. KakaoTalk conversations often include numbers, making them good practice material.
Practice Korean Numbers
Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Korean number skills with our free listening game.
Play the Number Game