List of item counters with native Korean numbers

These counters are used along with the numbers from the Korean number system. If you used the
numbers from the Sino-Korean system, Korean people would still understand you. However, since the
numbers don’t match the counters, it would sound a bit strange.

The examples below are written in Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) and romanized English. Knowing Hangeul
will help with pronunciation and with understanding the sample sentences. If you can’t read the Korean
alphabet yet, go here for a simple guide on how to read in about 1 hour:
https://www.90daykorean.com/how-to-learn-the-korean-alphabet/.

개 (gae) → a general counter for things, items, and units. Use this as your default for counting things
you’re not sure of as this is used to count most inanimate objects.

바나나 다섯 개와 사과 여섯 개 주세요 (banana daseot gaewa sagwa yeoseot gae juseyo)

Five bananas and six apples, please

살 (sal) → a counter used for age

저는 29 살이에요. (jeoneun seumurahop sarieyo.)

I am twenty-nine years old.

명(myeong) → a counter used to describe how many people are there

내일 여섯 명 예약할 수 있을까요? (naeil yeoseot myeong yeyakal su isseulkkayo?)

Can I make a reservation for six people for tomorrow?

사람 (saram) → a counter used for people

오늘 모임은 세 사람이 더 왔구나! (oneul moimeun se sarami deo watguna!)

Today three more people came to the meeting!

분 (bun) → a counter used for people

저녁 식사에 총 열두 분 맞으세요? (jeonyeok siksae chong yeoldu bun majeuseyo?)

Is it correct that there will be twelve people total at dinner?

마리 (mari) → a counter used for animals

우리 가족은 고양이를 네 마리 키우고 있어요. (uri gajogeun goyangireul ne mari kiugo isseoyo)

Our family is raising four cats

조각 (jogak) → a word used to count slices

피자를 여덟 조각으로 자르자. (pijareul yeodeol jogageuro jareuja)

Let’s cut the pizza into eight slices

장 (jang) → a word used to count pieces of paper

인쇄용지가 몇 장 필요하세요? (inswaeyongjiga myeot jang pillyohaseyo?)

How many pieces of printing paper do you need?

권 (gwon) → a word used to count books and notebooks

오늘 도서관에 가서 책을 세 권 빌렸어요. (oneul doseogwane gaseo chaegeul se gwon

billyeosseoyo)

Today I went to the library and borrowed three books

잔 (jan) → a counter for drinks

오늘 커피를 세 잔 마셨기 때문에 못 자고 있어요. (oneul keopireul se jan masyeotgi ttaemune

mot jago isseoyo)

I can’t sleep because I had three cups of coffee today

병 (byeong) → a word used to count bottles

마트에 가서 나한테 콜라를 두 병 사 줘. (mateue gaseo nahante kollareul du byeong sa jwo)

Please buy me two bottles of coke when you go to the grocery store
대 (dae) → a word used to count cars and machines

어제 새 자동차 두 대를 보고 왔는데, 아주 멋졌어! (eoje sae jadongcha du daereul bogo

wanneunde, aju meotjyeosseo!)

Yesterday I saw two new cars, very cool!

그릇 (geureut) → A counter for a bowl of something.

아줌마, 여기 국밥 다섯 그릇 주세요. (ajumma, yeogi gukbap daseot geureut juseyo.)

Madame, please give us five bowls of rice soup here.

Get “Korean Counters” Free PDF Guide

채 (chae) → a counter for houses and buildings

부모님이 아파트를 한 채 마련하셨습니다. (bumonimi apateureul han chae

maryeonhasyeotseumnida.)

Our parents prepared one apartment.

그루 (geuru) → a word used for counting trees

식목일에 나무 열 그루를 심는 게 목표예요. (singmogire namu yeol geurureul simneun ge

mokpyoyeyo.)

Our goal is to plant ten trees on Arbor Day.

벌 (beol) → a counter for clothes

회사를 다니기 위해서 새 옷을 두 벌 샀어요. (hoesareul danigi wihaeseo sae oseul du beol
sasseoyo.)

I bought two new sets of clothes to wear for work.

켤레 (kyeolle) → a specific counter for pairs of shoes

결혼식을 위해 구두 두 켤레를 샀어요. (gyeolhonsigeul wihae gudu du kyeollereul sasseoyo.)

I bought two pairs of shoes for the wedding.

가지 (gaji) → a counter for kinds, varieties, sorts

사람은 다섯 가지 감각이 있습니다. (sarameun daseot gaji gamgagi itseumnida.)

Humans have five senses.

군데 (gunde) → a counter for places

국내 여행을 세 군데 생각해 봤어. (gungnae yeohaengeul se gunde saenggakae bwasseo.)

I thought about three places to travel domestically

번 (beon) → a counter for times

벌써 세 번 연락해봤어. (beolsseo se beon yeollakaebwasseo.)

I already tried calling three times.

시 (si) → a counter for time

지금 오후 한 시예요? (jigeum ohu han siyeyo)

Is it 1:00 pm now?

달 (dal) → a word used to count months

다섯 달 전에 한국에 왔어요. (daseot daljeone hanguge wasseoyo)

I came to Korea five months ago.

해 (hae) → a counter for years

여기서 일 한지 벌써 여섯 해야. (yeogiseo il hanji beolsseo yeoseot haeya)

It has been six years since I started working here.

시간 (sigan) → a counter for duration in hours

이 시험은 네 시간 걸릴 거예요. (i siheomeun ne sigan geollil geoyeyo.)

This exam will take four hours.

List of item counters with Sino-Korean numbers

The counters in the previous section use the numbers from the Korean number system. The counters
below use the Sino-Korean number system instead. Below are some counting words, as well as some
examples of counting items using Korean numbers with the counting words.

일 (il) → a counter for days

삼 일 뒤에 다시 갈 거야. (sam il dwie dasi gal geoya.)

I’ll go again three days later

주일 (juil) → a counter for weeks

개학하고 나서 삼 주일이나 학교에 못 갔어. (gaehakago naseo sam juirina hakgyoe mot gasseo.)

Even though classes have already started, I couldn’t go to school for three long weeks.

월 (wol) → a counter for months

오늘은 오 월 십이 일입니다. (oneul o wol sibi irimnida.)

Today is May 12th.

개월 (gaewol) → a counter for duration of months

지금까지 남자친구랑 칠 개월 동안 만나고 있어요. (jigeumkkaji namjachingurang chil gaewol

dongan mannago isseoyo.)

I have been dating my boyfriend for seven months until now.

년 (nyeon) → a counter for years

일 년 뒤에 승진할 수 있어! (il nyeon dwie seungjinhal su isseo!)

I can get promoted after one year!

분 (bun) → a counter for minutes

10 분만 이따 전화할게. (sip bunman itta jeonhwahalge.)

I’ll call you in ten minutes.

초 (cho) → a counter for seconds

나는 34 분 20 초에 5 킬러미터를 달릴 수 있어요.(naneun samsipsabun isipchoe okilleomiteoreul

dallil su isseoyo.)
I can run five kilometers in thirty-four minutes and twenty seconds.

층 (cheung) → a counter for floors in a building

우리 건물은 6 층이 있어요. (uri geonmureun yukcheungi isseoyo.)

Our building has six floors.

킬로그램 (killogeuraem) → a counter for kilograms

기내 수화물은 15 킬로그램까지 가능합니다. (ginae suhwamureun sibokillogeuraemkkaji

ganeunghamnida)

In-flight baggage may be up to fifteen kilograms.

미터 (miteo) → a counter for meters

가로 길이는 삼 미터이고, 세로 길이는 일 미터인 테이블이 좋겠어! (garo girineun sam miteoigo,
sero girineun il miteoin teibeuri jokesseo!)

I’d like a table three meters wide and 1 meter long!

원 (won) → a counter for Korean won (Korean currency)

커피 4100 원, 머핀 3800 원 해서 총 7900 원 입니다. (keopi sacheonbaek won, meopin

samcheonpalbaek won haeseo chong chilcheongubaek wonimnida.)
The coffee is 4,000 won, and the muffin is 3,800 won, so the total is 7,900 won.