Sino-Korean Numbers in Korean

Overview

Sino-Korean numbers (한자어 수사) are the Chinese-origin number system used extensively in Korean, taught at the CEFR A1 level. These numbers have no upper limit and are used for dates, money, phone numbers, minutes, months, addresses, and mathematical operations.

While native Korean numbers handle counting and small quantities, Sino-Korean numbers dominate in formal and numerical contexts. They follow a straightforward base-10 system that is easy to learn: once you know 1-10 and the place values (십, 백, 천, 만), you can construct any number.

Korean uses both number systems simultaneously, which is one of the language's most distinctive features. Knowing when to use Sino-Korean versus native Korean numbers is essential for practical fluency.

How It Works

Basic Numbers 1-10

Number	Korean	Romanization
1	일	il
2	이	i
3	삼	sam
4	사	sa
5	오	o
6	육	yuk
7	칠	chil
8	팔	pal
9	구	gu
10	십	sip

Place Values

Value	Korean	Romanization
10	십	sip
100	백	baek
1,000	천	cheon
10,000	만	man
100,000,000	억	eok

Constructing Numbers

Numbers are built by stating the multiplier before the place value:

Number	Korean	Construction
11	십일	10 + 1
25	이십오	2×10 + 5
100	백	100
350	삼백오십	3×100 + 5×10
1,000	천	1,000
2024	이천이십사	2×1000 + 2×10 + 4

When to Use Sino-Korean Numbers

Context	Example
Dates	오월 십오일 (May 15th)
Money	천 원 (1,000 won)
Minutes	삼십 분 (30 minutes)
Months	일월, 이월... (January, February...)
Phone numbers	공일공-xxxx (010-xxxx)
Floors	삼 층 (3rd floor)
Math	이 더하기 삼은 오 (2+3=5)

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
일, 이, 삼, 사, 오	il, i, sam, sa, o	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	basic digits
오월 십오일	o-wol si-bo-il	May 15th	date
천 원	cheon won	1,000 won	money
삼십 분	sam-sip bun	30 minutes	time (minutes)
이천이십육 년	i-cheon-i-sip-yuk nyeon	year 2026	year
공일공 구구팔칠 육오사삼	gong-il-gong...	010-9987-6543	phone number
삼 층	sam cheung	3rd floor	floor
만 원	man won	10,000 won	money
칠월 사일	chir-wol sa-il	July 4th	date
이십오 분	i-si-bo bun	25 minutes	time

Common Mistakes

Using Sino-Korean numbers for hours

• Wrong: 삼 시 (using Sino-Korean for the hour)
• Right: 세 시 (using native Korean for the hour)
• Why: Hours always use native Korean numbers. Only minutes use Sino-Korean: 세 시 삼십 분 (3:30).

Confusing place value grouping

• Wrong: Grouping by thousands like English (one million = 백만)
• Right: Korean groups by 만 (10,000). 100,000 = 십만 (10 × 만)
• Why: Korean uses a 10,000-based grouping system, not 1,000-based like English.

Forgetting 공 for zero in phone numbers

• Wrong: Reading zero as 영 in phone numbers
• Right: Using 공 (gong) for zero in phone numbers: 공일공
• Why: 공 is the standard way to say "zero" in phone numbers, floors, and serial numbers.

Usage Notes

In casual conversation, especially at markets, people sometimes use native Korean numbers for money amounts under 10,000 won. However, Sino-Korean is always acceptable and standard for money. When reading numbers aloud, Sino-Korean is always used for large numbers. The number 4 (사) is considered unlucky in Korean culture (like in Chinese and Japanese) because it sounds similar to the word for death (死).

Practice Tips

• Practice saying dates in Korean: your birthday, today's date, holidays. Always use Sino-Korean for month and day.
• Count money in Korean won: memorize 천 원, 오천 원, 만 원, 오만 원 as common denominations.
• Practice phone numbers digit by digit using Sino-Korean, remembering 공 for zero.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Native Korean Numbers — understanding both systems is needed to use Korean numbers correctly
• Next steps: Time Expressions — learn how both number systems combine for telling time