Korean Counters: How to Count Things in Korean
In Korean you count with a number plus a counter word, after the thing: 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae, three apples), 고양이 두 마리 (goyangi du mari, two cats). Most counters use native Korean numbers; money, minutes and floors use Sino-Korean ones.
Counters with native Korean numbers
| Counter | Used for | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| 개 gae | things in general (the all-purpose counter) | 사과 세 개
sagwa se gae | 3 apples |
| 명 myeong | people | 사람 세 명
saram se myeong | 3 people |
| 분 bun | people (polite) | 손님 세 분
sonnim se bun | 3 guests |
| 마리 mari | animals, fish, birds | 고양이 세 마리
goyangi se mari | 3 cats |
| 권 gwon | books, notebooks | 책 세 권
chaek se gwon | 3 books |
| 병 byeong | bottles | 맥주 세 병
maekju se byeong | 3 bottles of beer |
| 잔 jan | cups and glasses of a drink | 커피 세 잔
keopi se jan | 3 coffees |
| 대 dae | vehicles and machines | 차 세 대
cha se dae | 3 cars |
| 장 jang | flat things: paper, tickets, photos | 표 세 장
pyo se jang | 3 tickets |
| 벌 beol | clothes (an outfit or a piece of clothing) | 옷 세 벌
ot se beol | 3 pieces of clothing |
| 켤레 kyeolle | pairs of shoes, socks, gloves | 신발 세 켤레
sinbal se kyeolle | 3 pairs of shoes |
| 송이 songi | flowers, bunches of grapes | 장미 세 송이
jangmi se songi | 3 roses |
| 그루 geuru | trees | 나무 세 그루
namu se geuru | 3 trees |
| 채 chae | houses and buildings | 집 세 채
jip se chae | 3 houses |
| 그릇 geureut | bowls of food | 밥 세 그릇
bap se geureut | 3 bowls of rice |
| 판 pan | whole pizzas, trays of eggs, rounds of a game | 피자 세 판
pija se pan | 3 pizzas |
| 가지 gaji | kinds, types | 세 가지
se gaji | 3 kinds |
| 살 sal | age (years old) | 스무 살
seumu sal | 20 years old |
| 번 beon | times (how often) | 세 번
se beon | 3 times |
| 시간 sigan | hours (how long) | 세 시간
se sigan | 3 hours |
| 달 dal | months (how long, everyday speech) | 세 달
se dal | 3 months |
Counters with Sino-Korean numbers
| Counter | Used for | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| 원 won | Korean won (money) | 오천 원
ocheon won | 5,000 won |
| 분 bun | minutes | 이 분
i bun | 2 minutes |
| 층 cheung | floors of a building | 이 층
i cheung | 2nd floor (or 2 floors) |
| 번 beon | numbers: bus no., seat no., exit no. | 이 번
i beon | number 2 (No. 2) |
| 호선 hoseon | subway lines | 이 호선
i hoseon | Line 2 (subway) |
| 인분 inbun | servings (when ordering food) | 삼겹살 이 인분
samgyeopsal i inbun | 2 servings of pork belly |
| 개월 gaewol | months (how long) | 이 개월
i gaewol | 2 months |
| 년 nyeon | years (how long, and calendar years) | 이 년
i nyeon | 2 years (or the year 2) |
| 학년 hangnyeon | school year / grade | 이 학년
i hangnyeon | 2nd grade / 2nd year |
Five numbers get shorter right before a counter. The rest stay the same.
| # | On its own | Before a counter | Example |
|---|
| 1 | 하나 hana | 한 han | 한 개 |
|---|
| 2 | 둘 dul | 두 du | 두 개 |
|---|
| 3 | 셋 set | 세 se | 세 개 |
|---|
| 4 | 넷 net | 네 ne | 네 개 |
|---|
| 5 | 다섯 daseot | 다섯 daseot | 다섯 개 |
|---|
| 6 | 여섯 yeoseot | 여섯 yeoseot | 여섯 개 |
|---|
| 7 | 일곱 ilgop | 일곱 ilgop | 일곱 개 |
|---|
| 8 | 여덟 yeodeol | 여덟 yeodeol | 여덟 개 |
|---|
| 9 | 아홉 ahop | 아홉 ahop | 아홉 개 |
|---|
| 10 | 열 yeol | 열 yeol | 열 개 |
|---|
| 11 | 열하나 yeolhana | 열한 yeolhan | 열한 개 |
|---|
| 20 | 스물 seumul | 스무 seumu | 스무 개 |
|---|
| 21 | 스물하나 seumulhana | 스물한 seumulhan | 스물한 개 |
|---|
How Korean counting works
English counts some things directly (three apples) and uses a measure word for others (three cups of coffee). Korean uses a counter word for almost everything, and the counter tells you what kind of thing is being counted: 명 for people, 마리 for animals, 권 for books, 잔 for drinks.
Word order
The normal order is thing + number + counter: 맥주 두 병 (maekju du byeong) (two bottles of beer), 친구 세 명 (chingu se myeong) (three friends). You may also see 세 명의 친구 (number + counter + 의 + thing), but that sounds written or translated; in speech, use the first order.
Which numbers to use
Korean has two sets of numbers. Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋) are used for counting things, people, animals, times and hours, and for age with 살. Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼) are used for money, minutes, dates, floors, phone and bus numbers, measurements and servings. Time mixes both: 세 시 삼십 분 (se si samsip bun) (3:30) — native hours, Sino-Korean minutes.
Some periods of time have both: 세 달 (se dal) and 삼 개월 (sam gaewol) both mean three months; 개월 is a little more formal. Years are usually Sino-Korean: 삼 년 (sam nyeon).
Writing counters with digits
With digits, the counter is usually written right after the number: 사과 3개, 5,000원, 2인분. When the number is spelled out in Hangul, put a space before the counter: 사과 세 개. Read 3개 aloud as 세 개, never 삼 개 — the counter decides which numbers to use, not the digits.
Useful sentences
- Three apples, please: 사과 세 개 주세요 (sagwa se gae juseyo)
- How many people? — Two: 몇 분이세요? (myeot buniseyo?) — 두 명이요 (du myeongiyo)
- Two servings of pork belly, please: 삼겹살 이 인분 주세요 (samgyeopsal i inbun juseyo)
- One more bottle of soju: 소주 한 병 더 주세요 (soju han byeong deo juseyo)
- I have two cats: 고양이 두 마리 키워요 (goyangi du mari kiwoyo)
Frequently asked questions
How do you count things in Korean?
Say the thing, then the number, then a counter word: 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae) (three apples), 고양이 두 마리 (goyangi du mari) (two cats). Most counters for things, people and animals use native Korean numbers.
Why is it 한 개 and not 하나 개?
Before a counter, five native numbers get shorter: 하나 → 한, 둘 → 두, 셋 → 세, 넷 → 네 and 스물 → 스무. So it is 한 개 (han gae), 두 명 (du myeong), 스무 살 (seumu sal). The change also happens in bigger numbers: 스물한 개 (seumulhan gae) (21).
What if I don't know the right counter?
Use 개 (gae). It works for almost any object, and Koreans use it a lot in casual speech. For people use 명 (or polite 분), and for animals 마리 — mixing those up sounds odd.
When do Korean counters use Sino-Korean numbers?
For money (오천 원 (ocheon won)), minutes (삼십 분 (samsip bun)), floors (삼 층 (sam cheung)), numbers and labels (이 호선 (i hoseon), Line 2), servings (이 인분 (i inbun)), months with 개월, years and dates. A good rule: counting objects → native numbers; measuring, ordering or labeling → Sino-Korean.
What is the difference between 세 번 and 삼 번?
세 번 (se beon) with a native number means “three times”. 삼 번 (sam beon) with a Sino-Korean number means “number 3”, like bus No. 3 or exit 3. 분 works the same way: 세 분 is three people (polite), 삼 분 is three minutes.
How do you count 100 or more?
From 100 up, Koreans normally switch to Sino-Korean numbers even with native counters: 백이십 명 (baegisip myeong) (120 people). For 101–109 the mixed form is also natural (백한 명), and age keeps the native ending: 백한 살 (baekan sal).