Learning Korean involves more than just vocabulary and grammar. A crucial aspect that often confuses learners is the use of counters: special words used to count different types of objects, people, and actions. If you’re looking to improve your Korean, mastering counters is an important step.
In this article, we’ll explore the various Korean counters, providing examples, tips, and sample sentences for better understanding. Let’s dive in!
What Are Korean Counters?
Korean counters are words that come after numbers when you’re counting specific categories of objects or people.
There are many different counters. Which you use depends on what’s being counted. For example, you wouldn’t count books the same way you would count animals. Using the correct counter is crucial for speaking natural and fluent Korean.
Why Are Korean Counters Important?
Counters are essential because:
- They help classify objects, people, and actions in a way that makes communication clearer.
- Native speakers always use counters, and understanding them makes your Korean sound more natural and sophisticated.
How to Use Korean Counters
The structure of using a counter in a sentence generally follows this order:
Object + Number + Counter
For example:
- 책 두 권 (chaek du gwon) = “two books” (literally “book, two, [counter for books]”)
- 사람 세 명 (saram se myeong) = “three people” (literally “people, three, [counter for people]”)
When used in a sentence, you attach the marking particle to the counter word, as below:
- 6월에 책 두 권을 읽었어요. (yuwolae chaek du gwoneul ilkeosseoyo) = “I read two books in June.”
- 사람 세 명이 모여요. (saram se myeongi moyeoyo) = “Three people gather together.”
What Are The Most Common Counters in Korean?
There are literally hundreds of counters in the Korean language, but here we’ll focus on the most frequently used ones.
1. General Counter: 개 (gae)
개 (gae) is a versatile counter that can be used for many different objects. It’s often used when a specific counter isn’t known or doesn’t exist. If you’re not sure which counter to use, use this one.
Examples
- 사과 한 개 (sagwa han gae) = one apple
- 볼펜 세 개 (bolpen se gae) = three pens
- 의자 두 개 (uija du gae) = two chairs
Using the 개 Counter In A Sentence
- 저는 사과 두 개를 샀어요. (jeoneun sagwa du gaereul satseoyo.)
= I bought two apples.
2. People: 명 (myeong), 분 (bun)
When counting people, the counter 명 (myeong) is commonly used in informal speech, while 분 (bun) is a more respectful form and used in formal contexts.
Examples
- 학생 세 명 (haksaeng se myeong) = three students
- 손님 두 분 (sonnim du bun) = two guests (formal)
Using 명 or 분 In A Sentence
- 친구 네 명이 왔어요. (chingu ne myeongi watseoyo.)
= Four friends came over.
Sometimes the word for “people” is dropped when the subject is known.
For instance, if you ever dine at a Korean restaurant, the waiter might ask you to confirm how many people will be eating. It’s similar to the phrase “table for [one, two, etc.]?” which is commonly used in English.
In this situation, the word for “person” is omitted from the sentence as it’s already implied.
- 모두 네 분이세요? (modu nae bunisaeyo?)
= Are there four people altogether?
In most situations, this is not omitted, as below:
- 손님 다섯 분이 오쎴어요. (sonnim daseot buni ossyeosseoyo.)
= Five guests have come.
3. Animals: 마리 (mari)
The counter 마리 (mari) is used for counting all kinds of animals.
Examples
- 개 두 마리 (gae du mari) = two dogs
- 고양이 세 마리 (goyangi se mari) = three cats
- 물고기 다섯 마리 (mulgogi daseot mari) = five fish
Using 마리 In A Sentence
- 저는 개 두 마리를 키워요. (jeoneun gae du marireul kiwoyo.)
= I raise two dogs.
4. Books: 권 (gwon)
권 (gwon) is the counter used when counting books, notebooks, and other bound volumes.
Examples
- 책 한 권 (chaek han gwon) = one book
- 소설 두 권 (soseol du gwon) = two novels
Using 권 In A Sentence
- 저는 소설 세 권을 샀어요. (jeoneun soseol se gwoneul satseoyo.)
= I bought three novels.
5. Bottles: 병 (byeong)
When counting bottles of any type of liquid, use 병 (byeong).
Examples:
- 맥주 한 병 (maekju han byeong) = one bottle of beer
- 물 두 병 (mul du byeong) = two bottles of water
Using 병 In A Sentence
- 우리는 물 세 병을 마셨어요. (urineun mul se byeongeul masyeosseoyo.)
= We drank three bottles of water.
6. Cars And Machines: 대 (dae)
Use 대 (dae) when counting vehicles, machines, and large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines.
Examples
- 차 한 대 (cha han dae) = one car
- 트럭 두 대 (teureok du dae) = two trucks
Using 대 In A Sentence
- 제임스가 차 한 대를 샀어요. (jaeimseuga cha han daereul sasseoyo.)
= James bought a car.
7. Paper, Tickets: 장 (jang)
장 (jang) is used for flat objects like sheets of paper, tickets, and photographs.
Examples
- 종이 한 장 (jongi han jang) = one sheet of paper
- 사진 두 장 (sajin du jang) = two photos
Using 장 In A Sentence
- 표 세 장을 샀어요. (pyo se jangeul satseoyo.)
= I bought three tickets.
8. Age: 살 (sal), 세 (se)
For counting age in everyday conversations, use 살 (sal) for informal situations. For more formal settings, especially when referring to someone older or of higher status, 세 (se) is used.
Examples
- 아홉 살 (ahop sal) = 9 years old
- 스물네 세 (seumulnae sae = 24 years old (formal)
Using 살 And 세 In A Sentence
- 제 동생은 아홉 살이에요. (je dongsaengeun ahop salieyo.)
= My younger sibling is nine years old. - 저는 열여덟 살이에요. (jeoneun yeolyeodeol salieyo)
= I am 18 years old. - 할아버지께서는 일흔 세세요. (harabeojikkeseoneun ilheun seseyo)
= Grandfather is 70 years old.
9. Clothing: 벌 (beol)
When counting articles of clothing, use the counter 벌 (beol).
Examples
- 옷 두 벌 (ot du beol) = two pieces of clothing
- 셔츠 세 벌 (syeocheu se beol) = three shirts
Using 벌 In A Sentence
- 저는 새로운 옷 네 벌을 샀어요. (jeoneun sae ot nae beoreul satseoyo.)
= I bought four new pieces of clothing.
10. Number of Occurrences: 번 (beon)
For counting the number of times something happens or how many times an event occurs, use 번 (beon).
Examples
- 한 번 (han beon) = once
- 두 번 (du beon) = twice
- 세 번 (se beon) = three times
Using 번 In A Sentence
- 저는 그 영화를 세 번 봤어요. (jeoneun geu yeonghwareul se beon bwasseoyo.)
= I watched that movie three times.
11. Rooms, Houses: 채 (chae)
채 (chae) is used to count buildings such as houses or rooms.
Examples
- 집 한 채 (jip han chae) = one house
- 방 두 채 (bang du chae) = two rooms
Using 채 In A Sentence
- 우리는 새 집 한 채를 샀어요. (urineun sae jip han chaereul satseoyo.)
= We bought a new house.
12. Trees: 그루 (geuru)
When counting trees, the counter 그루 (geuru) is used.
Examples:
- 나무 한 그루 (namu han geuru) = one tree
- 나무 세 그루 (namu se geuru) = three trees
Using 그루 In A Sentence
- 정원에 나무 두 그루가 있어요. (jeongwone namu du geuruga isseoyo.)
= There are two trees in the garden.
Counting with Sino-Korean and Native Korean Numbers
In Korean, there are two numbering systems: Native Korean and Sino-Korean.
Learn more about both numbering systems here.
Native Korean Numbers
Native Korean numbers are generally only used from one to 99. Counters are more commonly used with this number system for quantities below 100.
- 하나 (hana) = 1
- 둘 (dul) = 2
- 셋 (set) = 3
- 넷 (net) = 4
- 다섯 (daseot) = 5
Sino-Korean Numbers
These are based on Chinese characters, so if you know Mandarin they might seem familiar. Some counters (such as for money, floors, or measurements) use Sino-Korean numbers.
- 일 (il) = 1
- 이 (i) = 2
- 삼 (sam) = 3
- 사 (sa) = 4
- 오 (o) = 5
Counters like 층 (cheung) for floors, 년 (nyeon) for years, and 월 (wol) for months use Sino-Korean numbers.
Exceptions and Special Cases
While most counters follow the general structure, there are exceptions:
- For time units like seconds, minutes, and hours, 초 (cho) for seconds and 분 (bun) for minutes use Sino-Korean numbers, but 시간 (sigan) for hours uses Native Korean numbers.
- For “year” (년) and “month” (월), you must use Sino-Korean numbers:
- 삼 년 (sam nyeon) = three years
- 육 월 (yuk wol) = June (or six months).
Practice Makes Perfect!
Mastering Korean counters can seem overwhelming at first, but with consistent practice, they become second nature.
Remember that using the correct counter makes your Korean sound more fluent and natural. If you learn only two counters, make them 개 (for objects) and 명 (for people).
To improve, try practicing by counting objects around you in Korean and incorporating them into sentences.
By learning the most common Korean counters and how to use them in context, you’re one step closer to becoming proficient in the language.