Native Korean numbers

The native numbers are Korean’s own, older than the Sino-Korean set and used for counting things, for the hour and for age. They run from 하나 hana to 아흔아홉 aheunahop and stop there.

One to ten

Figure	Native Korean
1	하나 hana
2	둘 dul
3	셋 set
4	넷 net
5	다섯 daseot
6	여섯 yeoseot
7	일곱 ilgop
8	여덟 yeodeol
9	아홉 ahop
10	열 yeol

A word for every ten

Figure	Native Korean
10	열 yeol
20	스물 seumul
30	서른 seoreun
40	마흔 maheun
50	쉰 swin
60	예순 yesun
70	일흔 ilheun
80	여든 yeodeun
90	아흔 aheun

Building 11 to 99

Put the unit after the ten, as one word: 열하나 yeolhana (ten, one), 스물다섯 seumuldaseot (twenty, five), 아흔아홉 aheunahop (ninety, nine). Nothing multiplies, so each of the nine tens has to be learned as a word of its own. That is the one hard part of the native system; once the tens are known, every number to 99 follows.

The written forms are regular, but some joins change the sound. After the ㄹ of 열 and 스물, the units that start with a vowel pick up an extra sound: 열여섯 yeollyeoseot, 스물여섯 seumullyeoseot. The pronunciation page sets out the rules.

Shortened before a counter

When a native number stands directly before a counter word (개 for things, 명 for people, 살 for years of age), five forms shorten:

Figure	Counting form	Before a counter	Example
1	하나 hana	한 han	한 살 han sal
2	둘 dul	두 du	두 살 du sal
3	셋 set	세 se	세 살 se sal
4	넷 net	네 ne	네 살 ne sal
20	스물 seumul	스무 seumu	스무 살 seumu sal
21	스물하나 seumulhana	스물한 seumulhan	스물한 살 seumulhan sal
34	서른넷 seoreunnet	서른네 seoreunne	서른네 살 seoreunne sal

A few counters take older forms of 3 and 4: 석 달 (three months), 넉 달 (four months), alongside 세 달 and 네 달. The counters page covers the common counter words and which system each one takes.

Why it stops at 99

Native Korean once counted higher, with 온 for a hundred and 즈믄 for a thousand. Both fell out of use, and modern Korean fills the range from 100 with Sino-Korean. So there is no native 100: a count of objects that passes 99 continues with 백 baek, and an age of 100 is 백 살. This site’s native worksheets stop at 99 for the same reason, and every native sheet says so.

All of 1 to 99

Figure	Sino-Korean	Native Korean
1	일il	하나hana
2	이i	둘dul
3	삼sam	셋set
4	사sa	넷net
5	오o	다섯daseot
6	육yuk	여섯yeoseot
7	칠chil	일곱ilgop
8	팔pal	여덟yeodeol
9	구gu	아홉ahop
10	십sip	열yeol
11	십일sibil	열하나yeolhana
12	십이sibi	열둘yeoldul
13	십삼sipsam	열셋yeolset
14	십사sipsa	열넷yeollet
15	십오sibo	열다섯yeoldaseot
16	십육simnyuk	열여섯yeollyeoseot
17	십칠sipchil	열일곱yeollilgop
18	십팔sippal	열여덟yeollyeodeol
19	십구sipgu	열아홉yeorahop
20	이십isip	스물seumul
21	이십일isibil	스물하나seumulhana
22	이십이isibi	스물둘seumuldul
23	이십삼isipsam	스물셋seumulset
24	이십사isipsa	스물넷seumullet
25	이십오isibo	스물다섯seumuldaseot
26	이십육isimnyuk	스물여섯seumullyeoseot
27	이십칠isipchil	스물일곱seumullilgop
28	이십팔isippal	스물여덟seumullyeodeol
29	이십구isipgu	스물아홉seumurahop
30	삼십samsip	서른seoreun
31	삼십일samsibil	서른하나seoreunhana
32	삼십이samsibi	서른둘seoreundul
33	삼십삼samsipsam	서른셋seoreunset
34	삼십사samsipsa	서른넷seoreunnet
35	삼십오samsibo	서른다섯seoreundaseot
36	삼십육samsimnyuk	서른여섯seoreunnyeoseot
37	삼십칠samsipchil	서른일곱seoreunnilgop
38	삼십팔samsippal	서른여덟seoreunnyeodeol
39	삼십구samsipgu	서른아홉seoreunahop
40	사십sasip	마흔maheun
41	사십일sasibil	마흔하나maheunhana
42	사십이sasibi	마흔둘maheundul
43	사십삼sasipsam	마흔셋maheunset
44	사십사sasipsa	마흔넷maheunnet
45	사십오sasibo	마흔다섯maheundaseot
46	사십육sasimnyuk	마흔여섯maheunnyeoseot
47	사십칠sasipchil	마흔일곱maheunnilgop
48	사십팔sasippal	마흔여덟maheunnyeodeol
49	사십구sasipgu	마흔아홉maheunahop
50	오십osip	쉰swin
51	오십일osibil	쉰하나swinhana
52	오십이osibi	쉰둘swindul
53	오십삼osipsam	쉰셋swinset
54	오십사osipsa	쉰넷swinnet
55	오십오osibo	쉰다섯swindaseot
56	오십육osimnyuk	쉰여섯swinnyeoseot
57	오십칠osipchil	쉰일곱swinnilgop
58	오십팔osippal	쉰여덟swinnyeodeol
59	오십구osipgu	쉰아홉swinahop
60	육십yuksip	예순yesun
61	육십일yuksibil	예순하나yesunhana
62	육십이yuksibi	예순둘yesundul
63	육십삼yuksipsam	예순셋yesunset
64	육십사yuksipsa	예순넷yesunnet
65	육십오yuksibo	예순다섯yesundaseot
66	육십육yuksimnyuk	예순여섯yesunnyeoseot
67	육십칠yuksipchil	예순일곱yesunnilgop
68	육십팔yuksippal	예순여덟yesunnyeodeol
69	육십구yuksipgu	예순아홉yesunahop
70	칠십chilsip	일흔ilheun
71	칠십일chilsibil	일흔하나ilheunhana
72	칠십이chilsibi	일흔둘ilheundul
73	칠십삼chilsipsam	일흔셋ilheunset
74	칠십사chilsipsa	일흔넷ilheunnet
75	칠십오chilsibo	일흔다섯ilheundaseot
76	칠십육chilsimnyuk	일흔여섯ilheunnyeoseot
77	칠십칠chilsipchil	일흔일곱ilheunnilgop
78	칠십팔chilsippal	일흔여덟ilheunnyeodeol
79	칠십구chilsipgu	일흔아홉ilheunahop
80	팔십palsip	여든yeodeun
81	팔십일palsibil	여든하나yeodeunhana
82	팔십이palsibi	여든둘yeodeundul
83	팔십삼palsipsam	여든셋yeodeunset
84	팔십사palsipsa	여든넷yeodeunnet
85	팔십오palsibo	여든다섯yeodeundaseot
86	팔십육palsimnyuk	여든여섯yeodeunnyeoseot
87	팔십칠palsipchil	여든일곱yeodeunnilgop
88	팔십팔palsippal	여든여덟yeodeunnyeodeol
89	팔십구palsipgu	여든아홉yeodeunahop
90	구십gusip	아흔aheun
91	구십일gusibil	아흔하나aheunhana
92	구십이gusibi	아흔둘aheundul
93	구십삼gusipsam	아흔셋aheunset
94	구십사gusipsa	아흔넷aheunnet
95	구십오gusibo	아흔다섯aheundaseot
96	구십육gusimnyuk	아흔여섯aheunnyeoseot
97	구십칠gusipchil	아흔일곱aheunnilgop
98	구십팔gusippal	아흔여덟aheunnyeodeol
99	구십구gusipgu	아흔아홉aheunahop

Questions teachers and learners ask

Is "pure Korean" the same as native Korean numbers?

Yes. The native numbers are also called pure Korean numbers (고유어 수사, numerals of native origin), as against the Sino-Korean numbers that came from Chinese. They are the 하나, 둘, 셋 set, and they run from 1 to 99.

Can I say 100 in native Korean?

Not in modern Korean. Older Korean had 온 for a hundred and 즈믄 for a thousand, but both went out of use and survive only in a few old words and names. Today 100 is the Sino-Korean 백 in every context, so a native count that reaches 아흔아홉 carries on with 백.

When do the forms change before a counter?

Only the units 1 to 4 and the bare 20. 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 become 한, 두, 세, 네 directly before a counter word, in any position: 한 명, 열두 명, 서른세 명. 스물 becomes 스무 only on its own: 스무 살 (20 years old), but 스물한 살 (21). Every other native number stays as it is.

Do Koreans really use native numbers up to 99?

For ages, yes: 마흔다섯 살 and 예순 살 are everyday Korean. For counting objects, people often switch to Sino-Korean for larger quantities, and the switch point varies by speaker and by counter word. The native words up to 99 are standard Korean and are what a learner should know.

An independent learning site, not affiliated with the National Institute of Korean Language or any Korean government body. Rules and forms are quoted from the published sources named on each page; if your textbook or teacher prefers another accepted form, theirs is the one to follow in class.