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numbers

In Korean, there are two number systems; one is native Korean numbers, and the other is Chinese(Sino) numbers. Native Korean numbers are original Korean words, while Sino numbers are based on Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese.
 

Chinese numbers and Korean numbers

Chinese Number

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
영, 공
일
이
삼
사
오
육
칠
팔
구
십
ㅤ
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
ㅤ
십일
십이
십삼
십사
십오
십육
십칠
십팔
십구
이십
ㅤ
21
22
23
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
100
ㅤ
이십일
이십이
이십삼
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
백
: mostly means a name or a label(It can be the answer to “What number is~?”)
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사 학년 (4th grade)
 
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일 등 (1st place)
 
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삼백이 호 (room n.302)
 

Korean Number

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
하나
둘
셋
넷
다섯
여섯
일곱
여덟
아홉
열
11
12
13
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
20
열 하나
열 둘
열 셋
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
스물
21
22
23
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
30
스물 하나
스물 둘
스물 셋
…
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
서른
  • 20(스물), 30(서른), 40(마흔), 50(쉰), 60(예순), 70(일흔), 80(여든), 90(아흔)
 
: When you count how many things there are (It can be the answer to “How many ~?”)
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고양이 한 마리 (one cat)
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인형 두 개 (two dolls)
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사람 세 명 (three people)
(You can also use Chinese number system when you count these things if the number is too big. I can't say exactly from which number it starts, but it would be good to be able to count at least around 30(서른) in Korean numbers.)
 
 
 
 

Big numbers

Numbers above 100 are all read using Chinese numbers.
1
일
10
십
100
백
1000
천
10,000
만
100,000
십만
1,000,000
백만
10,000,000
천만
100,000,000
억
1,000,000,000
십억
10,000,000,000
백억
…
…
 
In Korean, 10,000 is not ‘십천’(ten thousand), but we use a separate unit called '만'. After that, it continues in the order of '십만', '백만', '천만'. Therefore, unlike other countries that read numbers by three digits, in Korea, numbers are read by four digits. Still, to follow international standards, commas are placed every three digits. So, try to read big numbers by drawing invisible slashes in your mind as shown in the image above.
In Korean, 10,000 is not ‘십천’(ten thousand), but we use a separate unit called '만'. After that, it continues in the order of '십만', '백만', '천만'.

Therefore, unlike other countries that read numbers by three digits, in Korea, numbers are read by four digits.

Still, to follow international standards, commas are placed every three digits.
So, try to read big numbers by drawing invisible slashes in your mind as shown in the image above.
 
 
 
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Read these numbers using the Native-Korean number system.
 
 
 
Read these numbers using the Chinese number system.
2 →
17 →
580 →
4,390→
78,006→
578,400→
162,030 →
4,631,200 →
 
 

Words & Answer

Words
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
Answer
2 → 이
17 → 십칠
580 → 오백팔십
4,390→ 사천삼백구십
78,006→ 칠만 팔천육
578,400→ 오십칠만 팔천사백
162,030 → 십육만 이천삼심
4,631,200 → 사백육십삼만 천이백