Korean Counters: How to Count Everything

In Korean, you can't just say "three apples" — you need a counter word between the number and the noun. Think of it like English "three sheets of paper" or "two cups of coffee," except Korean does this for everything.

How Counters Work

The basic pattern is:

Noun + Number + Counter

사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae) — three apples (apple + three + general counter)

Note: Use Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) with most counters, not Sino-Korean numbers. And remember that 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네 when paired with counters.

The 10 Most Common Counters

1. 개 (gae) — General Counter

Use for most objects when you don't know the specific counter. This is your default.

• 사과 두 개 — two apples
• 의자 세 개 — three chairs
• 문제 다섯 개 — five problems

2. 명 (myeong) — People (polite)

• 학생 세 명 — three students
• 친구 두 명 — two friends
• 몇 명이에요? — How many people?

3. 분 (bun) — People (honorific)

Use instead of 명 when being extra respectful:

• 손님 다섯 분 — five guests
• 선생님 두 분 — two teachers

4. 마리 (mari) — Animals

• 고양이 한 마리 — one cat
• 강아지 세 마리 — three puppies
• 물고기 열 마리 — ten fish

5. 잔 (jan) — Cups/Glasses

• 커피 한 잔 — one cup of coffee
• 맥주 두 잔 — two glasses of beer
• 물 한 잔 주세요 — One glass of water, please

6. 병 (byeong) — Bottles

• 소주 한 병 — one bottle of soju
• 물 두 병 — two bottles of water
• 맥주 세 병 — three bottles of beer

7. 권 (gwon) — Books/Volumes

• 책 한 권 — one book
• 만화 다섯 권 — five comic books (manga/manhwa)

8. 장 (jang) — Flat Objects (paper, tickets)

• 종이 한 장 — one sheet of paper
• 사진 세 장 — three photos
• 표 두 장 — two tickets

9. 대 (dae) — Machines/Vehicles

• 차 한 대 — one car
• 컴퓨터 세 대 — three computers
• 자전거 두 대 — two bicycles

10. 벌 (beol) — Clothing (sets)

• 옷 한 벌 — one outfit
• 양복 두 벌 — two suits

Time-Related Counters

These use Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...):

But hours use Native Korean numbers:

• 한 시 (1 o'clock)
• 두 시 (2 o'clock)
• 세 시 삼십 분 (3:30)

Common Patterns in Conversation

At restaurants:

• 비빔밥 두 개 주세요 (Two bibimbap, please)
• 물 한 잔 더 주세요 (One more glass of water, please)
• 소주 한 병하고 맥주 두 잔 주세요 (One bottle of soju and two glasses of beer, please)

Shopping:

• 이거 세 개 주세요 (Three of these, please)
• 몇 개 드릴까요? (How many would you like?)

Talking about people:

• 우리 반에 학생이 스무 명 있어요 (There are 20 students in our class)
• 형제가 몇 명이에요? (How many siblings do you have?)

Tips

1. When in doubt, use 개 — It works for most objects and Koreans won't correct you
2. Learn counters with their most common nouns — Don't memorize counters alone
3. Native Korean numbers only go to 99 — Use Sino-Korean for 100+
4. Practice with real counting — Count things around you in Korean throughout the day

Practice on Chamelingo

Chamelingo introduces counters in Chapters 3-4 alongside the number systems. Exercises include matching nouns to correct counters, fill-in-the-blank ordering scenarios, and listening comprehension where you identify quantities. The spaced repetition system specifically drills number + counter combinations that learners commonly mix up.

For a quick-reference cheat sheet with all the counters, number pairings, and practice drills, check out our dedicated Korean counters grammar page.