TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
한자어 숫자 (일, 이, 삼)
Sino-Korean numbers (from Chinese) are used for money, dates, minutes, phone numbers, floors, numbered things, and every number from 100 up.
정도·비교Degree & comparisonHan: Before 십, 백, 천 and 만 the 1 is not said: 10,000 is just 만.
Examples
다 해서 만 이천 원이에요.That's 12,000 won altogether.
제 생일은 유월 십육 일이에요.My birthday is June 16th.
제 전화번호는 공일공에 사칠이팔에 삼구오일이에요.My phone number is 010-4728-3951.
딜노자 씨 방은 삼 층 삼백칠 호예요.Dilnoza's room is number 307 on the third floor.
Don’t mix up
한자어 숫자 (일, 이, 삼)vs고유어 숫자 (하나, 둘, 셋)Native numbers count things and people with counters (사과 세 개, 두 명), hours and age (세 시, 스무 살). Minutes stay Sino: 세 시 삼십 분 '3:30'.
한자어 숫자 (일, 이, 삼)vs일 번 / 한 번With 번, Sino means a number and native means how many times: 일 번 'number one', 한 번 'once'.
How to build it
일 이 삼 사 오 육 칠 팔 구 십 · 백 (100) · 천 (1,000) · 만 (10,000): 11 = 십일, 20 = 이십, 35 = 삼십오
3,500원 = 삼천오백 원, 2026년 = 이천이십육 년, 7층 = 칠 층, 15분 = 십오 분
- Big numbers are built like 'two-ten-five' (25 = 이십오). Never say 일 before 십, 백, 천, 만: 10 = 십, 100 = 백, 1,000 = 천, 10,000 = 만 (not 일만), so 15,000원 = 만 오천 원.
- Korean groups big numbers by 만 (four zeros), not by thousands: 50,000 = 오만, 100,000 = 십만, 1,000,000 = 백만.
- Used with 원, 년/월/일, 분, 층, 번 ('number N', bus lines), 호 (room), 인분 (portions). Two months are irregular: June = 유월, October = 시월.
- Phone numbers are read digit by digit, 0 is 공 and the dash is read 에: 010-1234-5678 = 공일공에 일이삼사에 오육칠팔. Note the sound change in 16 = 십육 [심뉵].
Classic mistake
Wrong: 이 우산은 일만 원이에요.
Right: 이 우산은 만 원이에요.
Before 십, 백, 천 and 만 the 1 is not said: 10,000 is just 만.
Practise 한자어 숫자 (일, 이, 삼) on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- 몇몇 asks 'how many' or 'what number' and always comes right before a counter such as 개, 명, 시 or 살.
- 제일/가장제일 and 가장 mean 'the most, the best': put before an adjective, verb or adverb, they make it superlative.
- 고유어 숫자 + 단위 (하나, 둘, 셋)Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…) are used to count things and people with a counter word, and for hours and age.
- -(으)로-(으)로 marks the direction you head toward, the means or tool you use, or what something is made of.
- -(이)나(이)나 links two nouns as alternatives ("A or B"), and after a number it shows an approximate amount in questions or a surprisingly large amount in statements.
- -(으)ㄹ 거예요Use -(으)ㄹ 거예요 to say what you plan to do in the future, or to make a guess about something you are not sure of.
- -(으)시--(으)시- goes inside a verb or adjective to show respect to the person doing the action (the subject).
- -(으)려고Links an intention to the action taken to achieve it: 'in order to, so as to'. Neutral, everyday register.
- -(으)세요-(으)세요 is the polite honorific ending: it shows respect to the subject in statements and questions (선생님은 책을 읽으세요), and with action verbs it politely tells or asks the listener to do something (앉으세요).