How to Count to 10 in Korean

Korean is a stunning yet intricate language. However, counting to 10 in Korean is fairly simple – depending on what you're counting. In fact, Koreans use two distinct counting systems. Nonetheless, pronouncing the numbers is relatively easy. Whether you're counting to 10 in Korean, even for martial arts like Taekwondo, it’s not too complicated.

Practice the native Korean number system. You’ll encounter two different counting systems in Korean: one that is based on native Korean words and another influenced by Chinese (called Sino-Korean). In most cases, when counting from 1 to 10 (and excluding special cases like money or specific objects), the native Korean system is used (this also applies in Taekwondo).

• Numbers in Korean are written in Hangul characters, not Latin letters. Hence, the way Korean words are transcribed into Latin letters varies depending on phonetics.
• 1 하나 (pronounced "ha-na")
• 2 둘 (dul)
• 3 셋 (set)
• 4 넷 (net)
• 5 다섯 (da-seot)
• 6 여섯 (yeo-seot)
• 7 일곱 (il-gop)
• 8 여덟 (yeo-dol)
• 9 아홉 (a-hop)
• 10 열 (yeol)
• Remember: Koreans use both counting systems, depending on the context. For instance, the number 10 can have two different words, depending on the item being counted.
• However, most items are counted using the native Korean system, except when counting money. Therefore, books, people, trees, and other objects are counted using native Korean numbers. The native Korean system is used for counting from 1 to 60 and when talking about age.

Mastering the Hanja-based counting system. The Hanja counting system is used for dates, phone numbers, money, addresses, and numbers above 60.

• 1 일 (pronounced il)
• 2 이 (i)
• 3 삼 (sam)
• 4 사 (sa)
• 5 오 (o)
• 6 육 (yuk)
• 7 칠 (chil)
• 8 팔 (pal)
• 9 구 (gu)
• 10 십 (sip)
• There are specific cases where the Hanja counting system is also used for smaller numbers, like in addresses, phone numbers, dates, months, years, minutes, units of length, area, volume, and decimal numbers. Typically, this system is used for numbers larger than 60.
• Even though you usually use the native Korean counting system for numbers 1 to 10 in Taekwondo, the Hanja system should be used when describing a person’s belt rank. For instance, 'il-dan' refers to first-degree black belt in Korean, using the Hanja system for 1 ('il').

Practicing the number 0. There are two words for the number zero, both of which belong to the Hanja-based counting system.

• Use 영 when referring to scores gained or lost, such as in games or quiz shows, to talk about temperature, and in mathematics.
• Use 공 when talking about phone numbers.

Pronouncing words accurately. Depending on the word you are saying, you may need to emphasize a syllable to pronounce it correctly. Several websites allow you to listen to native speakers pronounce individual words. You can also record yourself and compare.

• Emphasize the correct syllable. For example, stress the second syllable in words like 'ha-na', 'da-sot', and 'yo-sot'.
• However, stress the first syllable in words like 'il-gop', 'yo-dol', and 'a-hop'.
• Don't be surprised when you see multiple different romanizations of numbers on various websites. There are many different ways of transcribing Korean to Latin characters.

Mastering the counting style in Taekwondo. When counting in Taekwondo, syllable emphasis almost disappears (for example, 'han' instead of 'ha-na' and 'das' instead of 'da-sot').

• Round off the 'l' sound in 'chil' and 'pal'. This sound should be closer to the 'l' in the English word 'let' rather than the 'll' in 'tall'.
• The 's' sound in 'sip' is pronounced like in Vietnamese. It would be disastrous if you pronounce the 's' like in the English word 'ship', as this would indicate a sexual relation!

Distinguishing words with silent letters or those pronounced similarly to other letters. In Korean, there are cases where certain letters in a word are not pronounced. You'll struggle to pronounce them correctly if you don't identify these cases.

• The sound "t" at the end is almost silent, as in the words “set” and “net.”
• In Korean, the letter "đ" is pronounced similarly to "t" when it's at the beginning or end of a word, and "l" is pronounced like "r" at the beginning. There are many other rules in Korean that you need to explore.
• English speakers often end words with a sound. For example, they pronounce the letter "p" in “trip” with a soft breath at the end. Koreans don't end words that way. They end words with their mouth in the same position as the final consonant is being pronounced.

Using Korean words for commands and kicks in Taekwondo. A common reason people want to learn numbers in Korean is because they need them for stretching and practicing Taekwondo. If that's your reason, learning the terminology in Taekwondo will be beneficial.

• The straight kick is called “Ap-chagi”. "Chagi" means kick. The roundhouse kick is “Dol-yo chagi.”
• Some important commands in Taekwondo include: Attention - "Charyot"; Return to ready position - "Baro"; and Kihap - "Kihap".
• Other common phrases in Korean used in Taekwondo include: Thank you (“Kamsa hamnida”); Hello (“Annyeong haseyo”); and Goodbye (“Annyeonghi gaseyo”).

Counting numbers greater than 10 in Korean. You might not want to stop at 10. Counting numbers over 10 in the native Korean number system is quite easy once you understand a few basic concepts.

• “Yol” means 10 in Korean. So, to say 11, you say "yol" followed by the corresponding word for 1, "hana": yol hana. The same applies to numbers from 11 to 19.
• The number twenty is pronounced “seumul.”
• For numbers 21 to 29, start with the Korean word for twenty. So 21 will be "seumul" plus the word for 1: seumul hana, and continue similarly.
• Use the same approach for larger numbers and apply these terms: thirty ("soreun"); forty ("maheun"); fifty ("sun"); sixty ("yesun"); seventy ("ireun"); eighty ("yodeun"); ninety ("ahun"); one hundred ("baek").

Exploring the differences between Korean and other languages. Korean characters may seem similar to Chinese or Japanese for beginners, but in reality, Korean characters are completely different and, fortunately, easier to learn than those of other languages.

• The Korean Hangul alphabet consists of only 24 characters and a few simple variations. Other Asian languages are not like this; in fact, if you learn these languages, you have to memorize thousands of characters.
• When writing in Hangul, each character is a syllable. Every syllable in Korean starts with a consonant.
• In some ways, learning English is harder than learning Korean, because words like "read" in English can be pronounced in completely different ways depending on the context. Korean is not like that!

• Consider asking a Korean speaker to teach you, as it's challenging to pronounce words accurately without hearing them first.
• Precise pronunciation is essential, especially when it comes to the positioning of consonants.
• Download audio resources to your computer or phone for practice.
• You might need to install a program to enable your browser to read the Hangul alphabet, the script used to form words in Korean.