Counters/Classifiers
Korean counters (classifiers) for counting different types of objects
I can use common Korean counters to count objects, people, and animals
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
책 네 권을 샀어요.
I bought four books.
커피 두 잔 주세요.
Two cups of coffee, please.
고양이 세 마리가 있어요.
There are three cats.
차 한 대가 주차장에 있어요.
There is one car in the parking lot.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
단위 명사/분류사 (Counters/Classifiers)
Korean requires a counter word (분류사) between the number and what you're counting. The pattern is: noun + number + counter.
| Counter | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 개 | General objects | 사과 두 개 (2 apples) |
| 명 / 사람 | People | 학생 세 명 (3 students) |
| 마리 | Animals | 고양이 한 마리 (1 cat) |
| 잔 | Cups/glasses | 커피 두 잔 (2 cups of coffee) |
| 권 | Books/volumes | 책 세 권 (3 books) |
| 장 | Flat things (paper, tickets) | 종이 네 장 (4 sheets of paper) |
| 대 | Vehicles, machines | 차 한 대 (1 car) |
| 병 | Bottles | 물 한 병 (1 bottle of water) |
| 살 | Age (years old) | 스무 살 (20 years old) |
| 시 | Hours (o'clock) | 세 시 (3 o'clock) |
Word order: Noun + native Korean number + counter: 사과 세 개. Alternative order: 세 개의 사과 (more literary).
Important: Counters always use native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세...), not Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼...).
Omit counters entirely or use wrong counter for noun type. Also using Sino-Korean numbers with counters.
Common Error Patterns
Counted without using a counter word
Korean always requires a counter between number and noun
Used incorrect counter for the noun type
개 = general, 명 = people, 마리 = animals, 잔 = cups, 권 = books, 장 = flat, 대 = vehicles
책 네 권을 샀어요.
I bought four books.
권 = counter for books/volumes. 넷 → 네 before 권. 을 marks the object.
커피 두 잔 주세요.
Two cups of coffee, please.
잔 = counter for cups/glasses. 둘 → 두 (modified form before counter).
고양이 세 마리가 있어요.
There are three cats.
마리 = counter for animals. 셋 → 세 before 마리.
차 한 대가 주차장에 있어요.
There is one car in the parking lot.
대 = counter for vehicles and machines. 하나 → 한 before 대.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is 단위 명사/분류사 used?
- Korean requires a counter word (분류사) between the number and what you're counting. The pattern is: noun + number + counter .
- How is 단위 명사/분류사 formed?
- Word order: Noun + native Korean number + counter: 사과 세 개 . Alternative order: 세 개의 사과 (more literary). Important: Counters always use native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세...), not Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼...).
- What are common mistakes with 단위 명사/분류사?
- Learners use the wrong counter for the object type, or omit counters entirely. Also using Sino-Korean numbers with counters instead of native Korean. EN speakers: English has no obligatory classifiers, so learners forget them entirely. Tendency to say *사과 세 instead of 사과 세 개. DE speakers: German lacks classifiers. May try to translate 'Stück' (piece) as a universal counter but Korean is more specific. RU speakers: Russian has no classifiers either. However, the concept of 'штука' (piece) for counting helps with 개 (general counter). CS speakers: Czech has no classifiers. May struggle to remember which counter goes with which noun category.