Counters That Use Native Korean Numbers<\/h2>\n
The native Korean numbers are primarily used for counting purposes. So naturally, most Korean counters utilize native Korean numbers.<\/p>\n
Remember: the native Korean system maxes out at number 99<\/a>, but a counter can switch from using native Korean numbers to Sino-Korean numbers when a number goes beyond 99.<\/p>\n Counters Used: \uba85<\/strong> \/\uc0ac\ub78c<\/strong> \/\ubd84<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc138 \uba85 \/\uc138 \uc0ac\ub78c \/ \uc138 \ubd84 (three people)<\/p>\n Yes, there are indeed multiple counters you can use for your fellow human beings. All of them literally translate to \u201cperson\u201d or \u201cpeople\u201d but each one is used a little bit differently.<\/p>\n \uba85 is a rather informal counter and one used among casual company. \uc0ac\ub78c is generic and neutral, quite literally translating to \u201cperson.\u201d<\/p>\n \ubd84, however, can actually be considered a kind of honorific<\/a>, and the counter you should use when you\u2019re talking about people who deserve a bit more respect.<\/p>\n It does make a difference since etiquette is imbedded in most aspects of Korean culture.<\/p>\n Counter used: \ub9c8\ub9ac\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uacf0 \uc77c\uacf1 \ub9c8\ub9ac\u00a0(seven bears)<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s your pack of temperamental cats or a swarm of clownfish, this counter is used for our furry or scaly friends<\/a>.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uac1c\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ub538\uae30 \uc5f4 \uac1c\u00a0(10 strawberries), \uc758\uc790 \ub124 \uac1c (four chairs)<\/p>\n This is a pretty ubiquitous counter. Because it can be used for so many items, I\u2019d also suggest this as the “safe” answer if you don’t know the correct counter for a certain object.<\/p>\n The one time you should avoid using it is when you\u2019re counting people because it comes off strange.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc0b4\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc2a4\ubb3c\ub2e4\uc12f \uc0b4 (25 years old)<\/p>\n You might have gleaned the use of this counter if you\u2019ve already learned the question \uba87 \uc0b4\uc774\uc5d0\uc694? which means \u201cHow old are you?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n You may be wondering: What about baby ages, which we typically calculate in months?<\/p>\n You won\u2019t have to worry about that if you\u2019re using the Korean age system<\/a>, because as soon as a baby is born, it\u2019s already considered one year old!<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ubc88<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc77c\uacf1 \ubc88 (seven times)<\/p>\n From how many times someone walked into a glass door to the number of visits you\u2019ve made to the bathroom, this counter is used whenever you want to tally up the number of times an action took place.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uad8c<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ucc45 \uc11c\ub978 \uad8c (thirty books)<\/p>\n This is for books, notebooks and volumes. If you\u2019re talking about copies of the same book, however, you may want to specifically use the counter \ubd80 instead.<\/p>\n Counter used: \ubcd1<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc18c\uc8fc \uc2a4\ubb34 \ubcd1 (20 soju bottles)<\/p>\n This is for the sodas, juices, water and 99 bottles (and no more) of beer or soju on the wall.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll probably find good use for this counter if you ever chance upon a bar while enjoying Korean nightlife.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ubc8c<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc7ac\ud0b7 \uc544\ud649 \ubc8c (nine jackets)<\/p>\n Use this counter for shirts, pairs of pants, jackets and so forth.<\/p>\n However, footwear and handwear utilize the next counter in this list.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ucf24\ub808<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uad6c\ub450 \ub124 \ucf24\ub808 (four pairs of shoes)<\/p>\n Remember that this counter is used for pairs of these items! If you do want to count just a single sock, shoe or glove, then you should use the \uac1c counter.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ub300<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc790\ub3d9\ucc28 \ub2e4\uc12f \ub300 (five cars)<\/p>\n This counter applies for vehicles and other mechanical equipment, such as computers.<\/p>\n However, it can also be used to count punches (yes, the fist-type punches). So you can find a purpose for \ub300 in both an electronics store and a boxing ring!<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc811\uc2dc<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ubc18\ucc2c \uc5f4\uc138 \uc811\uc2dc (13 side dish plates)<\/p>\n Here\u2019s one to know when you\u2019re eating at a Korean restaurant<\/a>. \uc811\uc2dc literally means plate, so it\u2019s easy to make the connection.<\/p>\n And trust me, this counter can be quite useful if you decide to take in a traditional Korean spread of side dishes<\/a>\u2014they come in bulk, and you\u2019re bound to order seconds or thirds of any of them.<\/p>\n Counter used: \uadf8\ub987<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ubc25 \uc138 \uadf8\ub987 (three bowls of rice)<\/p>\n This one is appropriate for food that comes out in bowls, such as nice steamy rice or filling Korean stew.<\/p>\n However, since \uadf8\ub987 does just translate to bowl, you can also find it useful when you\u2019re wandering around a kitchen supply store looking to buy bowl sets.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc794<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc8fc\uc2a4 \uc77c\uacf1 \uc794 (seven cups of juice)<\/p>\n \uc794 is used to measure cups and glasses of any drink (alcoholic or otherwise)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that this isn\u2019t really the counter to use for measuring cups of an ingredient (like two cups of flour) for cooking purposes!<\/p>\n You could also say \ucef5 the Korean transliteration of the word \u201ccup.\u201d<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc870\uac01<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ube75 \uc138 \uc870\uac01 (three slices of bread)<\/p>\n This is most commonly used for food items that can be chopped up, such as pizza, cake, bread, fruits and so forth.<\/p>\n It\u2019s critical to know if you\u2019re given the task of divvying up food for a group of people.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uad70\ub370<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc5f4 \uad70\ub370 (10 places)<\/p>\n \u201cPlaces and areas\u201d can refer to geographic locations and places you can visit. It can also refer to specific spots on something, such as upon your body.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ubd09\uc9c0<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ub77c\uba74 \uc5f4 \ubd09\uc9c0 (10 packets of ramen)<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find this commonly used for bags and packets of food, such as instant ramen or crackers.<\/p>\n \ubd09\uc9c0 itself just means a disposable bag. So you can use it for items like garbage, paper or plastic bags as well.<\/p>\n Counters that use Sino-Korean numbers tend to involve items that come in large quantities that the native Korean numbers aren’t able to cover.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc77c<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc721\uc2ed \uc77c (60 days)<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s three days or 365 days, use this counter when you have to be mindful of the calendar.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc8fc<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc774 \uc8fc (two weeks)<\/p>\n You can also use the similar counter \uc8fc\uac04 when talking about week-based durations.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ub144<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc624\uc2ed \ub144 (50 years)<\/p>\n Interestingly, there\u2019s also another counter for years that uses native Korean numbers: \ud574<\/p>\n You can use either, although I find \ub144 to be more frequently used.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc6d4<\/strong><\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>\uc774\uc6d4 (February), \uc624\uc6d4 (May)<\/p>\n Yes, there\u2019s a counter that specifies the actual months! The numbers correspond to the month number itself, so February would get number two, May number five, and so forth.<\/p>\n There’s a different counter for measuring out a number of months, which is the next one.\u00a0<\/p>\n Counter used: \uac1c\uc6d4<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uce60 \uac1c\uc6d4 (seven months)<\/p>\n This is the counter to use for counting out the passing of months. You simply add \uac1c before \uc6d4 to specify that you\u2019re talking about a timespan.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ub4f1<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uad6c \ub4f1 (nine levels)<\/p>\n A good counter to know if you have to consider ranks and grades, such as in a competition, during tests or even while playing video games.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc2e4<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ud654\uc7a5\uc2e4 \uc77c \uc2e4 (one bathroom)<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019re moving into a new Korean home. Or maybe you\u2019re just bored and gazing at an interior design plan. Count rooms in a building with \uc2e4.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ucd08<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc0bc\uc2ed \ucd08 (30 seconds)<\/p>\n A great counter to use whenever you\u2019re timing yourself for short-lived activities.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ubd84<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc774\uc2ed \ubd84 (20 minutes)<\/p>\n When you\u2019re telling the time in Korean<\/a>, the counter \ubd84 is used for minutes.<\/p>\n Remember that Sino-Korean numbers are used for telling minutes, while native Korean numbers are used for telling the hour.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc11d<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ud314\uc2ed \uc11d (80 seats)<\/p>\n Use \uc11d with Sino-Korean numbers to measure out how many sitting spots are around. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s 10 seats in a classroom or thousands in a stadium!<\/p>\n Counter Used: \uc6d0<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \ubc31 \uc6d0 (100 won)<\/p>\n \uc6d0 is the actual name of the Korean currency<\/a>, so you may not have thought of this as a counter.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, \ub3c8 is actually the generic term for money.<\/p>\n Counter Used: \ubd88<\/strong><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong> \uc624\uc2ed \ubd88 (50 dollars)<\/p>\n You can use the counter \ubd88 strictly for American greenback dollars. It can come in handy if you\u2019re ever at a Korean-run restaurant in the States.<\/p>\n You can also say \ub2ec\ub7ec for \u201cdollar\u201d\u2014it\u2019s just the Korean pronunciation of the English word!<\/p>\n In English, counters follow a number and precede \u201cof (an item)\u201d like \u201ctwo cups<\/strong> of tea\u201d or \u201cfour heads<\/strong> of lettuce\u201d or \u201cfive platoons<\/strong> of soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n In Korean, the typical format for describing items with their counters is:<\/p>\n Item + Number + Counter<\/strong><\/p>\n If the number is in numeric form (instead of written in Korean), it\u2019s often placed right next to the counter word without a space in between.<\/p>\n Note: Sometimes, the counter name is also the name of the item being counted, in which case you don\u2019t have to also specify the item beforehand.<\/p>\n When using counters, you should first be familiar with the two Korean number systems: the native Korean numbers or the Sino-Korean numbers. Certain types of counters will typically use one system or another.<\/p>\n Try to learn as many Korean counters as you can<\/strong> and see how to use them in real contexts. Keep an eye and ear out for them whenever you\u2019re exposed to Korean speech.<\/p>\n If there aren\u2019t any Korean speakers around, you can check out authentic Korean media either online or on resources such as the FluentU program<\/a>.<\/p>\n FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n1. People<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Animals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Inanimate Objects<\/h3>\n
4. Number of Years in Age<\/h3>\n
5. Number of Times Something Occurred<\/h3>\n
6. Text-based Materials<\/h3>\n
7. Bottles<\/h3>\n
8. Articles of Clothing<\/h3>\n
9. Pairs of Socks, Shoes or Gloves<\/h3>\n
10. Cars and Machines<\/h3>\n
11. Plates of Food<\/h3>\n
12. Bowls of Food<\/h3>\n
13. Beverages<\/h3>\n
14. Slices or Pieces of Food<\/h3>\n
15. Place or Areas<\/h3>\n
16. Packages and Packets<\/h3>\n
Counters That Use Sino-Korean Numbers<\/h2>\n
17. Calendar Days<\/h3>\n
18. Weeks<\/h3>\n
19. Years<\/h3>\n
20. Month Numbers<\/h3>\n
21. Duration in Months<\/h3>\n
22. Levels or Ranks<\/h3>\n
23. Rooms<\/h3>\n
24. Seconds<\/h3>\n
25. Minutes<\/h3>\n
26. Number of Seats<\/h3>\n
27. Korean Currency (Won)<\/h3>\n
28. Dollars<\/h3>\n
How to Use Korean Counters<\/h2>\n
![\"FluentU](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NativeAd-Korean.jpg\")
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