Korean Numbers 1–100:
Sino vs Native (Full Chart)

Here's the first surprise every Korean learner hits with numbers: there are two completely different counting systems, and you have to know both. The good news? Once you understand which system goes where, it's far more logical than it looks — and this guide gives you the full Korean numbers charts from 1 to 100 plus a cheat-sheet you can come back to anytime.

Why Korean Has Two Number Systems

Korean uses Sino-Korean numbers and Native Korean numbers:

• Sino-Korean — borrowed from Chinese characters (Hanja), historically used for records, math, money, and measurements. Used for dates, prices, phone numbers, minutes, and any number 100+.
• Native Korean — Korea's own original system, used for the everyday things you interact with: counting objects and people, your age, and the hour of the day. It only goes up to 99.

Think of it this way: Sino = the "formal record-keeping" system; Native = the "things in front of me" system. Keep that mental split and the rest falls into place.

Sino-Korean Numbers 1–100

Sino-Korean is the easier system to build, because larger numbers are just combinations (20 = "two-ten" = 이십). Learn 1–10 and the tens, and you can say everything in between.

#	Hangul	Romanisation
1	일	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

#	Hangul	Romanisation
20	이십	isip
30	삼십	samsip
40	사십	sasip
50	오십	osip
60	육십	yuksip
70	칠십	chilsip
80	팔십	palsip
90	구십	gusip
100	백	baek

Native Korean Numbers 1–99

Native numbers have unique words for each ten (you can't just stack them like Sino), so this is the system that takes a little more memorising. It stops at 99.

#	Hangul	Romanisation
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

#	Hangul	Romanisation
20	스물	seumul
30	서른	seoreun
40	마흔	maheun
50	쉰	swin
60	예순	yesun
70	일흔	ilheun
80	여든	yeodeun
90	아흔	aheun

When to Use Which: The Cheat-Sheet

This is the part learners actually search for. Bookmark this table:

Use case	System	Example
Counting objects / people	Native	사과 세 개 (3 apples)
Age	Native	스물다섯 살 (25 yrs)
The hour (time)	Native	세 시 (3 o'clock)
Minutes (time)	Sino	삼십 분 (30 min)
Money / prices	Sino	오천 원 (5,000 won)
Dates (year/month/day)	Sino	유월 (June)
Phone numbers	Sino	공일공… (010…)
Numbers 100+	Sino	백, 천, 만

Telling Time: The Mixed System

Time is the famous "gotcha" — it uses both systems in one breath. The hour is Native, the minutes are Sino:

3:25 → 세 시 이십오 분 (se si isibo bun)
"three (Native) o'clock, twenty-five (Sino) minutes"

Memorise one example like this and the rule sticks for good: 시 (hour) takes Native, 분 (minute) takes Sino.

A Quick Word on Counters

When you count things in Korean, you usually need a counter word after the number — similar to "two sheets of paper" in English. The most common ones pair with Native numbers:

• 개 — general objects (한 개 = one item)
• 명 — people (두 명 = two people)
• 마리 — animals (세 마리 = three animals)
• 살 — age (스무 살 = 20 years old)

You don't need to master every counter now — just know that the number and counter travel together, and counters are where those shortened forms (한, 두, 세…) show up.

Putting Numbers to Work

Numbers are some of the highest-value vocabulary you'll learn — you'll use them every single day. Pair them with a few essential phrases and you can already shop, order, and tell time. Curious how old you'd be in Korea? Try our free Korean age calculator — it even shows your age spoken in Native Korean. Next, grab the 20 essential Korean phrases, make sure your Hangul reading is solid, and see the full beginner path in how to learn Korean online.

Charts get you started, but numbers only stick once you hear them in real speech. This podcast episode walks through Korean numbers and how to say your age at a relaxed, beginner-friendly pace — listen along and the two systems start to feel natural instead of memorised:

New beginner-friendly episodes drop every week. Subscribe to SoodaKorean on YouTube 🔔 to train your ear with real Korean a little every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Sino-Korean and Native Korean numbers?

Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼…) come from Chinese and are used for dates, money, phone numbers, minutes, and any number 100+. Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…) are used for counting objects and people, your age, and the hour when telling time. Native numbers only go up to 99.

When do you use Native Korean numbers?

For counting things and people (with counters like 개 and 명), for your age (with 살), and for the hour when telling time. "3 apples" is 사과 세 개 and "25 years old" is 스물다섯 살.

How do you tell time in Korean?

Korean time uses both systems: the hour is Native, the minutes are Sino. So 3:25 is 세 시 이십오 분 — 세 (Native "three") for the hour, 이십오 (Sino "25") for the minutes.

How high do Native Korean numbers go?

Only up to 99 (아흔아홉). For 100 and above you switch to Sino-Korean (백 for 100). That's one reason Sino-Korean handles prices and large quantities.