How to Count to 10 in Korean

Korean is a beautiful yet complex language. However, counting to 10 in Korean is quite simple – depending on the object you intend to count. In fact, Koreans use two numbering systems. Even so, it’s pretty easy to pronounce the words that count. If you simply want to count to 10 in Korean – even in the case of Taekwondo – it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Table of Contents

Learn two numbering systems

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Practice the pure Korean number system. You will approach two different numbering systems in Korean, one based on pure Korean words and the other related to Chinese (this system is called Han Han). ^{[1] X Research Source} In most cases, if you are simply counting from 1 to 10 (and not counting money or any other special objects), you will need to use the pure Korean numbering system (this is also true in Taekwondo).

Numbers in Korean are written in a character called Hangul, and do not use the Latin alphabet. ^{[2] X Research Sources} Therefore, the romanization of Korean words between online sites varies and is based on phonetics. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
1 (pronounced “ha-na”)
2 (dul)
3 (set)
4 (necessary)
5 (multi-slot)
6 (yo-sot)
7 (il-gob)
8 (yo-dp)
9 (a-hop)
10 (yp) ^{[4] X Research Source}
Remember: Koreans use both numbering systems, the usage depends on the context. So, for example, the number 10 can be two different words, depending on the object being counted. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
However, most objects are counted using the pure Korean numeral system, with the exception of money counting. Therefore, books, people, trees and any other objects are counted in pure Korean numbers. Pure Korean numbers are used when the number of objects is between 1 and 60 and used when talking about age.

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Proficient in Han Han numbering system. Han Chinese numerals are used for dates, phone numbers, amounts, addresses, and numbers over 60.

1 (pronounced il)
2 (i)
3 (sam)
4 (sa)
5 (umbrella)
6 (yuk)
7 yen (chil)
8 won (pal)
9 (gu)
10 yen (Cyprus)
There are a few special cases where the Sino-Korean numeral system is also used for smaller numbers, such as numbers in addresses, phone numbers, days, months, years, minutes, length units, area, mass, volume, and numbers after the decimal point. Usually, this numbering system is used for numbers greater than 60. ^{[6] X Research Source}^{[7] X Research Source}
Although you would normally use the pure Korean numeral to count from 1 to 10 in Taekwondo, you should use the Sino-Korean numeral when describing a person’s belt. Therefore, first dan Xuan belt in Korean is pronounced “il-dan,” using the Sino-Korean numeral for 1 (“il”).

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Practice number 0. There are two zeros, but both are in the Sino-Han numeral system.

Use 영 when talking about points gained or lost, for example in a game or quiz show, to talk about temperature and numbers in math. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Use 공 when talking about phone numbers.

Proficient in pronunciation

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Pronounce words correctly. Depending on the word you’re saying, you can stress a syllable for more precise pronunciation. Some online sites allow you to hear how native speakers pronounce each word. You can also record yourself for comparison.

Hit the correct accent. For example, you need to stress the second syllable in the words “ha-na”, “multi-sôt” and “yo-sôt”.
However, you need to stress the first syllable of the words “il-gop”, “yo-dp” and “a-hop”.
Don’t be surprised when you see different pronunciations of numbers online. There are many different spellings in the process of transliteration from Korean to Latin.

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Master the style of counting numbers in Taekwondo. When counting numbers in Taekwondo, non-stressed syllables almost disappear (as when saying “han” for “ha-na” and “das” for “multi-slot”).

Round off the “l” sound in “chil” and “pal”. This sound will sound more like the “l” sound in the English word “let” than the “ll” sound in the English word “tall”.
The “s” sound in the word “cyprus” is pronounced like Vietnamese. It would be a disaster if you pronounce “s” like the English word “ship”. The word you said then would imply sex!

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Distinguish words whose letters are silent, or those that are pronounced similarly to other letters. There are many cases in Korean where the letters in words are not pronounced. You will not be able to pronounce correctly if you do not find these cases.

The final “t” is almost silent, for example in the words “set” and “neth”.
In Korean, the letter “d” is pronounced almost like “t” when it is the first and last consonants, and the “l” is pronounced like “r” when it is the first consonant. Korean has many other principles that you need to study.
English speakers often end words with a sound. For example, they pronounce the “p” in the word “trip” with a slight breath at the end. Koreans don’t end words with such a light breath. They end the word when the mouth is still in the same position, as when they pronounce the last consonant in the word. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Learn other Korean words

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Use Korean words for commands and kicks in Taekwondo. One reason many people want to learn to count numbers in Korean is because they have to use these numbers when stretching and practicing Taekwondo. If that’s also your reason, learning the terms in Taekwondo will also be beneficial.

The straight kick reads “Abchai”. “Cha-gi” is kick. The round kick is “Dolio cha-gi”. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Some important commands in Taekwondo include: Strictly – “Chariot”; Return to the prepared position – “Baro” and Ho – “Kihab”. ^{[11] X Research Source}
Some other common Korean sentences used in Taekwondo include: Thank you (“Cam-sa-ham-nida”); Hello (“An-noong-ha-seyo”); and Goodbye (“Annoong-hi gaseyo”). ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Count numbers greater than 10 in Korean. You probably don’t just want to stop at 10. It’s actually quite easy to count numbers above 10 in the Korean numeral system if you already understand a few concepts.

“Yp” means 10 in Korean. So if you wanted to say the number 11, you would say “yp” and the corresponding word for the number 1, “ha-na”: yp ha-na. The same goes for the numbers 11 to 19.
The number twenty is pronounced “mon-mul.”
For numbers 21 to 29, start with the Korean word for 20. So the number 21 would be “su-mul” plus the corresponding word for 1: su-mul ha-na, and so on.
Apply the same approach to counting larger numbers and use the following words: thirty (pronounced “so-run”); forty (“ma-hun”); fifty (“syn”); sixty (“yesun”); seventy (“irun”); eighty (“yo-dun”); ninety (“a-hun”); one hundred (“beak”). ^{[13] X Research Source}

Advice

Ask a Korean to teach you the language, because you won’t be able to pronounce words correctly without hearing them.
Correct pronunciation is important, especially in relation to the position of consonants.
Download audio materials to your computer or phone to practice.
You may need to download a program so that your web browser can read the Hangul alphabet, the letters that make up words in Korean.

Steps

Learn two numbering systems

Proficient in pronunciation

Learn other Korean words

Advice

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