숫자A1

Sino-Korean Numbers

Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...) for dates, money, phone numbers, minutes

Learning Goal

Can use Sino-Korean numbers for dates, money, phone numbers, and minutes

Exam Skills:듣기읽기

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

오늘은 삼월 이십일일이에요.

Today is March 21st.

이거 삼천 원이에요.

This is 3,000 won.

전화번호가 공일공-이삼사오-육칠팔구예요.

My phone number is 010-2345-6789.

오만 원이에요.

It's 50,000 won.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

한자 숫자 — Sino-Korean Numbers

Korean has two number systems. Sino-Korean numbers (한자어 수) come from Chinese and are used for specific contexts.

Basic Sino-Korean numbers:

NumberKoreanNumberKorean
0영/공10십
1일100백
2이1,000천
3삼10,000만
4사11십일
5오25이십오
6육99구십구
7칠365삼백육십오
8팔1,000천
9구2,024이천이십사

When to use Sino-Korean numbers:

  • Dates: 삼월 십오일 (March 15th)
  • Money: 오천 원 (5,000 won)
  • Phone numbers: 공일공-이삼사오-육칠팔구
  • Minutes: 삼십 분 (30 minutes)
  • Months: 일월 (January) through 십이월 (December)
  • Floors: 삼 층 (3rd floor)

Important: Korean groups large numbers by 만 (10,000), not by thousand: 50,000 = 오만 (5 × 10,000), not *오십천.

Learners mix up Sino-Korean and native Korean numbers, or apply Western thousand-grouping to large numbers. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English groups by thousands (1,000 / 1,000,000). Korean groups by 만 (10,000): 100,000 = 십만 (10 × 만), not 'hundred thousand'. Also, speakers use native numbers where Sino-Korean is needed (e.g., *하나월 instead of 일월 for January). 🇩🇪 German speakers: German has the same thousand-grouping, so 만-based grouping is new. Phone number reading style differs — German reads digit by digit, Korean groups like 공일공-삼사오육.

Common Error Patterns

Used native Korean numbers where Sino-Korean is required (or vice versa)

Sino-Korean for: dates, money, phone numbers, minutes, months, floors. Native Korean for: hours, counting items with counters, age

Grouped large numbers by thousands instead of by 만 (10,000)

Korean groups by 만: 50,000 = 오만 (5×10,000), NOT 오십천

오늘은 삼월 이십일일이에요.

Today is March 21st.

Dates use Sino-Korean: 삼월 (March = month 3) + 이십일일 (21st day). Month = number + 월, day = number + 일.

이거 삼천 원이에요.

This is 3,000 won.

Money uses Sino-Korean: 삼천 (3,000) + 원 (won, Korean currency). 삼 (3) + 천 (1,000) = 3,000.

전화번호가 공일공-이삼사오-육칠팔구예요.

My phone number is 010-2345-6789.

Phone numbers read digit by digit using Sino-Korean: 공(0)-일(1)-공(0), 이(2)-삼(3)-사(4)-오(5), 육(6)-칠(7)-팔(8)-구(9). 0 is 공 in phone numbers.

오만 원이에요.

It's 50,000 won.

Large numbers: 오만 = 오(5) × 만(10,000) = 50,000. Korean groups by 만, not by 천. Think: 50,000 = 5만, not 50천.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

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