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Korean Numbers — 하나 vs 일, When to Use Which

By 5 min read

Contents
  1. 1. The two sets
  2. 2. The short forms before counters
  3. 3. Which counter takes which set
  4. 4. Dates, money and phone numbers
  5. 5. Age — two ways
  6. 6. How to practise

Korean has two sets of numbers: native Korean (하나, 둘, 셋…) for counting things, people, age and hours, and Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼…) for dates, money, minutes, floors and phone numbers. The number set depends on the counter word that follows it. It feels like a lot at first, but a short list of common counters covers most of daily life — and even "세 시 삼십 분" (3:30) uses both sets in one breath.

1. The two sets

Native KoreanSino-Korean
1하나 (한)일
2둘 (두)이
3셋 (세)삼
4넷 (네)사
5다섯오
6여섯육
7일곱칠
8여덟팔
9아홉구
10열십
20스물 (스무)이십
30서른삼십
100—백

Native tens go 열, 스물, 서른, 마흔, 쉰, 예순, 일흔, 여든, 아흔, and in everyday use the native set stops at 99 (아흔아홉). From 100 up, Koreans use Sino-Korean numbers.

Sino-Korean numbers are built like a calculator: 11 is 십일 (ten-one), 25 is 이십오 (two-ten-five). For 10, 100 and 1,000 you just say 십, 백, 천 — not 일십 or 일백.

2. The short forms before counters

Four native numbers (and 20) get shorter when a counter follows. This is the part beginners forget most.

  • 하나 → 한: 한 개 (one thing)
  • 둘 → 두: 두 명 (two people)
  • 셋 → 세: 세 시 (three o'clock)
  • 넷 → 네: 네 살 (four years old)
  • 스물 → 스무: 스무 살 (twenty years old)

The same goes inside bigger numbers: 열한 개 (11 things), 스물두 살 (22 years old).

3. Which counter takes which set

Native Korean (하나, 둘…)Sino-Korean (일, 이…)
개 — things: 사과 세 개원 — money: 삼천 원
명 / 분 — people: 친구 두 명분 — minutes: 십 분
살 — age: 일곱 살초 — seconds: 삼십 초
시 — hours (o'clock): 다섯 시년 / 월 / 일 — dates: 이천이십칠 년 삼월 십육 일
마리 — animals: 고양이 한 마리층 — floors: 오 층
잔 / 병 — cups, bottles: 커피 두 잔번 — number: 일 번 버스 (bus number 1)
권 — books: 책 세 권인분 — servings: 삼 인분
번 — times: 한 번 (once)학년 — school year: 이 학년
시간 — hours (duration): 두 시간개월 — months (duration): 삼 개월

Notice two pairs:

  • 번: 한 번 means "once" (native), but 일 번 means "number one" (Sino).
  • Months as a duration: 세 달 (native + 달) and 삼 개월 (Sino + 개월) both mean "three months".

4. Dates, money and phone numbers

Months are Sino-Korean + 월: 일월, 이월, 삼월… with two changes in sound and spelling: June is 유월 (not 육월) and October is 시월 (not 십월).

Money counts in units of 10,000 (만), not 1,000. So 10,000 won is 만 원, 50,000 won is 오만 원, and 100,000 won is 십만 원. In speech, "10,000" is simply 만, not 일만.

Phone numbers are read digit by digit with Sino-Korean numbers, and 0 is usually 공: 010-1234-5678 → 공일공, 일이삼사, 오육칠팔.

5. Age — two ways

In everyday talk, age is native + 살: 열 살, 스무 살, 서른다섯 살. In forms, news or formal speech you will also see Sino-Korean + 세: 이십 세. And when talking about an older person's age, the polite word for 나이 is 연세.

6. How to practise

  • Count real things around you out loud with 개: 한 개, 두 개, 세 개, 네 개, 다섯 개.
  • Read prices in shops with 원 and 만.
  • Every time you look at a clock, say the time: native hours, Sino minutes.

You can hear and use numbers in short everyday dialogues in Everyday Korean.

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Sources · Standard Korean Language Dictionary (National Institute of Korean Language) — entries 하나, 스물, 스무, 일, 유월, 시월 · Malpul Everyday Korean
Updated 2026-10-10


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