단위명사 (danwi myeongsa) · 164 counters
Korean counters: all 164 counter words
In Korean you can't count a noun directly: you need a counter for the kind of thing, like 명 (myeong) for people or 마리 (mari) for animals. They're also called counting units, classifiers or measure words. All 164 are below, grouped by what they count. Not sure which numbers to use? See the numbers guide.
Try it: pick a number and a counter
세 명
se myeong
명 takes
Native Korean
The number changed
셋 set 세 se before a counter
In use: 한 명 han myeong (one person)
Counters for people
6For counting people. 명 is the everyday word, 분 the polite one.
In use
- 한 명 han myeong (one person)
- 세 명 se myeong (three people)
- 학생 다섯 명 haksaeng daseot myeong (five students)
In use
- 손님 두 분 sonnim du bun (two guests, politely)
- 세 분이 오셨어요 se buni osyeosseoyo (three people came)
- 삼십 분 samsip bun (thirty minutes)
Also counts
- Minutes on the clock
In use
- 두 사람 du saram (two people)
- 몇 사람이에요? myeot saramieyo? (how many people?)
In use
- 삼겹살 이 인분 samgyeopsal i inbun (two portions of pork belly)
- 일 인분만 주세요 il inbunman juseyo (just one portion please)
In use
- 이 인 i in (two persons)
- 사 인 가족 sa in gajok (a family of four)
In use
- 한 쌍 han ssang (one couple)
- 커플 세 쌍 keopeul se ssang (three couples)
Counters for animals & fish
9For animals, plus the old market units for selling fish in fixed lots.
In use
- 고양이 한 마리 goyangi han mari (one cat)
- 개 두 마리 gae du mari (two dogs)
- 붕어빵 세 마리 bungeoppang se mari (three fish-shaped pastries)
In use
- 닭 천 수 dak cheon su (a thousand chickens)
Also counts
- Turns in a board game
- Poems or songs
In use
- 말 두 필 mal du pil (two horses)
- 비단 한 필 bidan han pil (one roll of silk)
Also counts
- Rolls of cloth
In use
- 조기 한 두름 jogi han dureum (twenty croakers on a string)
In use
- 한 급 han geup (one batch of twenty)
In use
- 오징어 한 축 ojingeo han chuk (twenty squid)
In use
- 고등어 한 손 godeungeo han son (a pair of mackerel)
In use
- 북어 한 쾌 bugeo han kwae (twenty dried pollack)
In use
- 명태 한 코 myeongtae han ko (twenty pollack, Hamgyong usage)
Counters for food & drink
19Glasses, bowls, plates and portions, for ordering and for eating.
In use
- 커피 한 잔 keopi han jan (one coffee)
- 물 두 잔 mul du jan (two glasses of water)
In use
- 맥주 한 병 maekju han byeong (one bottle of beer)
- 소주 두 병 soju du byeong (two bottles of soju)
In use
- 밥 한 그릇 bap han geureut (one bowl of rice)
- 국수 두 그릇 guksu du geureut (two bowls of noodles)
In use
- 공깃밥 한 공기 gonggitbap han gonggi (one bowl of rice)
- 두 공기 더 주세요 du gonggi deo juseyo (two more bowls please)
In use
- 만두 한 접시 mandu han jeopsi (one plate of dumplings)
In use
- 두부 한 모 dubu han mo (one block of tofu)
In use
- 케이크 한 조각 keikeu han jogak (one slice of cake)
- 피자 두 조각 pija du jogak (two slices of pizza)
In use
- 한 입만 han imman (just one bite)
- 두 입 먹었어요 du ip meogeosseoyo (I had two bites)
In use
- 설탕 두 숟가락 seoltang du sutgarak (two spoons of sugar)
In use
- 수박 한 통 subak han tong (one watermelon)
- 배추 두 통 baechu du tong (two cabbages)
- 전화 한 통 jeonhwa han tong (one phone call)
Also counts
- Letters, calls and messages
- Buckets and tubs
In use
- 하루 세 끼 haru se kki (three meals a day)
- 한 끼도 못 먹었어요 han kkido mot meogeosseoyo (I have not had a single meal)
In use
- 국밥 한 사발 gukbap han sabal (one large bowl of soup rice)
In use
- 밥 한 숟갈 bap han sutgal (one spoonful of rice)
In use
- 밥 두 술 bap du sul (two spoonfuls of rice)
In use
- 한 젓가락 han jeotgarak (one chopstick-full)
In use
- 물 한 모금 mul han mogeum (a sip of water)
- 담배 한 모금 dambae han mogeum (one drag)
In use
- 술 한 배 sul han bae (one cup of liquor, mostly in older writing)
In use
- 마늘 한 접 maneul han jeop (a hundred bulbs of garlic)
In use
- 밤 한 톨 bam han tol (one chestnut)
- 쌀 한 톨 ssal han tol (a single grain of rice)
Counters for everyday objects
14개 covers most things. These are the shapes that need something else.
In use
- 사과 한 개 sagwa han gae (one apple)
- 두 개 주세요 du gae juseyo (two please)
- 세 개 남았어요 se gae namasseoyo (three are left)
In use
- 계란 한 알 gyeran han al (one egg)
- 알약 두 알 aryak du al (two pills)
- 포도 한 알 podo han al (one grape)
In use
- 연필 한 자루 yeonpil han jaru (one pencil)
- 삽 두 자루 sap du jaru (two shovels)
- 쌀 한 자루 ssal han jaru (a sack of rice)
Also counts
- Sacks of grain or goods
In use
- 양말 두 켤레 yangmal du kyeolle (two pairs of socks)
- 구두 한 켤레 gudu han kyeolle (one pair of shoes)
In use
- 옷 한 벌 ot han beol (one outfit)
- 정장 두 벌 jeongjang du beol (two suits)
Also counts
- Sets of cutlery or dishes
In use
- 담배 한 개비 dambae han gaebi (one cigarette)
- 성냥 두 개비 seongnyang du gaebi (two matches)
In use
- 동전 한 닢 dongjeon han nip (one coin)
In use
- 고기 한 덩어리 gogi han deongeori (one chunk of meat)
In use
- 마늘 한 쪽 maneul han jjok (one clove of garlic)
- 삼십 쪽 samsip jjok (page thirty)
Also counts
- Pages of a book
In use
- 신발 한 짝 sinbal han jjak (one shoe of a pair)
In use
- 양말 한 족 yangmal han jok (one pair of socks)
In use
- 바늘 한 쌈 baneul han ssam (a bundle of needles)
In use
- 머리카락 한 가닥 meorikarak han gadak (one strand of hair)
In use
- 모래 한 알갱이 morae han algaengi (one grain of sand)
Counters for books, paper & media
21Books, pages, chapters, and episodes of a show.
In use
- 책 한 권 chaek han gwon (one book)
- 만화책 세 권 manhwachaek se gwon (three comic books)
In use
- 종이 한 장 jongi han jang (one sheet of paper)
- 표 두 장 pyo du jang (two tickets)
- 제 3 장 je sam jang (chapter three)
Also counts
- Chapters of a book
In use
- 십 페이지 sip peiji (page ten)
- 이백 페이지 ibaek peiji (two hundred pages)
In use
- 신문 두 부 sinmun du bu (two copies of the newspaper)
- 이력서 한 부 iryeokseo han bu (one copy of a CV)
In use
- 제 5 과 je o gwa (lesson five)
In use
- 영화 한 편 yeonghwa han pyeon (one film)
- 소설 세 편 soseol se pyeon (three novels)
Also counts
- Parts or sections of a book
In use
- 드라마 12 화 deurama sibi hwa (episode twelve)
In use
- 딱 두 마디만 할게요 ttak du madiman halgeyo (let me say just two words)
- 말 한마디 mal hanmadi (a single word)
In use
- 노래 한 곡 norae han gok (one song)
- 세 곡 불렀어요 se gok bulleosseoyo (I sang three songs)
In use
- 사건 두 건 sageon du geon (two cases)
- 문의 세 건 munui se geon (three enquiries)
In use
- 사진 다섯 매 sajin daseot mae (five photographs)
Also counts
- Pairs of chopsticks
In use
- 일 면 il myeon (page one, the front page)
In use
- 시즌 2탄 sijeun itan (the second instalment)
In use
- 제 3 집 je sam jip (volume three)
In use
- 제 2 절 je i jeol (section two)
In use
- 네 소절 ne sojeol (four bars)
In use
- 성경 한 구절 seonggyeong han gujeol (one verse of scripture)
In use
- 한 자 han ja (one character)
- 천 자 cheon ja (a thousand characters)
In use
- 작품 열 점 jakpum yeol jeom (ten works)
- 백 점 baek jeom (a hundred points)
Also counts
- Slices of meat or sashimi
- Points scored, and marks on a test
- Droplets
- Clouds in the sky
- Stones placed in baduk
In use
- 초교 chogyo (first proof)
- 삼교 samgyo (third proof)
In use
- 제 1 조 je il jo (article one)
Counters for buildings & places
12Floors, rooms, houses, and places on a map.
In use
- 집 한 채 jip han chae (one house)
- 이불 한 채 ibul han chae (one duvet)
Also counts
- Large furniture and wagons
- Blankets and quilts
- Roots of ginseng
In use
- 아파트 3 동 apateu sam dong (building three)
- 두 동 du dong (two blocks)
In use
- 삼 층 sam cheung (third floor)
- 지하 일 층 jiha il cheung (first basement level)
In use
- 301 호 sambaegil ho (room 301)
Also counts
- Houses in a count of households
In use
- 한 칸 han kan (one square)
- 기차 세 칸 gicha se kan (three train carriages)
In use
- 세 곳 se got (three places)
- 여러 곳 yeoreo got (several places)
In use
- 두 군데 du gunde (two places)
- 몇 군데 myeot gunde (a few places)
In use
- 회의실 두 실 hoeuisil du sil (two meeting rooms)
In use
- 지점 5 개소 jijeom o gaeso (five branches)
In use
- 백 석 baek seok (a hundred seats)
In use
- 토지 두 필지 toji du pilji (two plots of land)
In use
- 십 개국 sip gaeguk (ten countries)
Counters for time & dates
17Clock time, how long something lasts, ages and dates.
In use
- 세 시 se si (three o'clock)
- 오후 다섯 시 ohu daseot si (five in the afternoon)
In use
- 두 시간 du sigan (two hours)
- 세 시간 걸려요 se sigan geollyeoyo (it takes three hours)
In use
- 십 초 sip cho (ten seconds)
- 삼십 초만 기다려요 samsip choman gidaryeoyo (wait thirty seconds)
In use
- 삼 일 sam il (three days)
- 십오 일 sibo il (the fifteenth)
In use
- 이 주일 i juil (two weeks)
- 한 주일 han juil (one week)
In use
- 두 달 du dal (two months)
- 세 달 후에 se dal hue (in three months)
In use
- 삼 개월 sam gaewol (three months)
- 육 개월 yuk gaewol (six months)
In use
- 삼월 samwol (March)
- 십이월 sibiwol (December)
- 유월 yuwol (June, not 육월)
- 시월 siwol (October, not 십월)
In use
- 이 년 i nyeon (two years)
- 2026 년 icheonisimnyuk nyeon (the year 2026)
In use
- 스무 살 seumu sal (twenty years old)
- 몇 살이에요? myeot sarieyo? (how old are you?)
In use
- 이십 세 isip se (twenty years of age)
- 만 30 세 man samsip se (thirty years old)
In use
- 2박 3일 ibak samil (two nights, three days)
In use
- 일 학년 il hangnyeon (first year)
- 삼 학년 sam hangnyeon (third grade)
In use
- 5 개년 계획 o gaenyeon gyehoek (a five-year plan)
In use
- 한 해 han hae (one year)
- 두 해 du hae (two years)
In use
- 보름 동안 boreum dongan (for a fortnight)
In use
- 3 주기 sam jugi (the third anniversary)
Counters for money & measures
17Money, weight, distance, and a few units measured off the body.
In use
- 천 원 cheon won (one thousand won)
- 오만 원 oman won (fifty thousand won)
In use
- 십 달러 sip dalleo (ten dollars)
In use
- 백 그램 baek geuraem (one hundred grams)
In use
- 오 킬로그램 o killogeuraem (five kilograms)
In use
- 백 미터 baek miteo (one hundred metres)
In use
- 영하 5 도 yeongha o do (minus five degrees)
- 90 도 gusip do (ninety degrees)
In use
- 밀가루 두 컵 milgaru du keop (two cups of flour)
In use
- 사촌 sachon (a cousin, four degrees away)
- 삼촌 samchon (an uncle, three degrees away)
In use
- 백 불 baek bul (a hundred dollars)
In use
- 한 푼도 없어요 han pundo eopseoyo (I have not a penny)
In use
- 십 파운드 sip paundeu (ten pounds)
In use
- 한 뼘 han ppyeom (one handspan)
In use
- 꽃 한 아름 kkot han areum (an armful of flowers)
In use
- 한 움큼 han umkeum (a handful)
In use
- 한 주먹 han jumeok (a fistful)
In use
- 소금 한 줌 sogeum han jum (a handful of salt)
In use
- 백 촉 baek chok (a hundred candlepower)
Counters for vehicles & machines
4Cars, ships, instruments and weapons.
In use
- 차 한 대 cha han dae (one car)
- 컴퓨터 두 대 keompyuteo du dae (two computers)
- 삼십 대 samsip dae (someone in their thirties)
Also counts
- Cigarettes, arrows and other slender things
- Decades of a lifetime
- Blows struck or doses taken
In use
- 배 두 척 bae du cheok (two ships)
In use
- 총 한 정 chong han jeong (one gun)
- 약 두 정 yak du jeong (two tablets)
Also counts
- Tablets of medicine
In use
- 대포 두 문 daepo du mun (two cannon)
Counters for actions & scores
14How many times something happened, and how it scored.
In use
- 한 번 han beon (once)
- 세 번 se beon (three times)
- 몇 번이나? myeot beonina? (how many times?)
In use
- 3 회 sam hoe (the third round)
- 주 2 회 ju i hoe (twice a week)
In use
- 한 판 더 han pan deo (one more game)
- 계란 한 판 gyeran han pan (a tray of thirty eggs)
Also counts
- A whole pizza or other round flat food
- A tray of thirty eggs
In use
- 운동장 두 바퀴 undongjang du bakwi (two laps of the field)
In use
- 한 걸음 han georeum (one step)
- 열 걸음 yeol georeum (ten paces)
In use
- 3 승 sam seung (three wins)
- 10승 2패 sipseung ipae (ten wins, two losses)
In use
- 두 탕 뛰었어요 du tang ttwieosseoyo (I did two runs)
In use
- 세 발짝 se baljjak (three paces)
In use
- 총 세 발 chong se bal (three shots)
In use
- 한 방 han bang (one shot, one punch)
In use
- 한 땀 한 땀 han ttam han ttam (stitch by stitch)
In use
- 1무 ilmu (one draw)
In use
- 초범 chobeom (a first offence)
In use
- 3선 의원 samseon uiwon (a three-term member)
Counters for bundles & batches
18Things sold packed, tied or boxed, usually in fixed quantities.
In use
- 두 가지 du gaji (two kinds)
- 여러 가지 yeoreo gaji (various sorts)
In use
- 김밥 한 줄 gimbap han jul (one roll of gimbap)
- 세 줄 se jul (three lines)
Also counts
- A decade of age (마흔 줄, in one's forties)
In use
- 담배 한 갑 dambae han gap (one pack of cigarettes)
In use
- 사과 한 상자 sagwa han sangja (one box of apples)
In use
- 과자 두 봉지 gwaja du bongji (two bags of snacks)
In use
- 꽃 한 다발 kkot han dabal (a bunch of flowers)
In use
- 시금치 한 단 sigeumchi han dan (one bunch of spinach)
- 태권도 3단 taegwondo samdan (third dan in taekwondo)
Also counts
- Grades and ranks in martial arts
- Columns on a page
In use
- 쌀 한 포대 ssal han podae (one sack of rice)
In use
- 연필 한 다스 yeonpil han daseu (a dozen pencils)
In use
- 한 타 han ta (one dozen)
In use
- 한 묶음 han mukkeum (one bundle)
In use
- 돈 한 뭉치 don han mungchi (a wad of cash)
In use
- 한 꾸러미 han kkureomi (one parcel)
In use
- 한 무더기 han mudeogi (one heap)
In use
- 담배 한 보루 dambae han boru (one carton)
In use
- 김 한 톳 gim han tot (a hundred sheets of seaweed)
In use
- 나무 한 바리 namu han bari (one load of wood)
In use
- 기와 한 우리 giwa han uri (two thousand roof tiles)
Counters for plants & nature
6Trees, flowers, leaves and drops.
In use
- 나무 한 그루 namu han geuru (one tree)
- 세 그루 심었어요 se geuru simeosseoyo (I planted three)
In use
- 장미 한 송이 jangmi han songi (one rose)
- 포도 두 송이 podo du songi (two bunches of grapes)
In use
- 배추 한 포기 baechu han pogi (one head of cabbage)
In use
- 물 한 방울 mul han bangul (one drop of water)
- 눈물 두 방울 nunmul du bangul (two tears)
In use
- 나뭇잎 한 잎 namusip han ip (one leaf)
In use
- 밭 두 고랑 bat du gorang (two furrows)
Counters for rank & numbering
7Positions, grades, digits and issue numbers.
In use
- 일 등 il deung (first place)
- 삼 등 sam deung (third place)
In use
- 1위 irwi (first in the ranking)
- 5위 owi (fifth place)
In use
- 세 자리 se jari (three digits)
In use
- 네 자릿수 ne jaritsu (a four-digit number)
In use
- 시신 두 구 sisin du gu (two bodies)
In use
- 한약 한 제 hanyak han je (one course of herbal medicine)
In use
- 한약 두 첩 hanyak du cheop (two packets)
Using a counter in a sentence
The order is the thing, then the number, then the counter: 사과 세 개를 샀어요 (sagwa se gaereul sasseoyo), "I bought three apples". The particle can go on the counter, as here, or on the thing: 사과를 세 개 샀어요 (sagwareul se gae sasseoyo) is just as natural.
Written in digits, you still read the right system: 3명 is read 세 명 (se myeong), and 2시 30분 is read 두 시 삼십 분 (du si samsip bun), native for the hour and Sino-Korean for the minutes.
Common questions
What are Korean counter words?
They're small words that go after a number when you count things, a bit like "slices" in "three slices of bread", except Korean uses them for almost everything. You say 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae, three apples) with 개 (gae) as the counter. You'll also see them called counting words, counting units, classifiers, measure words or 단위명사 (danwi myeongsa).
How many counters does Korean have?
There's no fixed number. Korean keeps a long tail of specialist and old market units, and dictionaries don't agree on where to draw the line. This page lists 164, and a dozen or so cover most of daily life.
Which counters should I learn first?
A small handful covers most of daily life: 개 (gae) for things, 명 (myeong) for people, 마리 (mari) for animals, 잔 (jan) for cups and glasses, 병 (byeong) for bottles, 권 (gwon) for books, 장 (jang) for flat things like paper and tickets, 대 (dae) for cars and machines, and 살 (sal) for age. If you're stuck, 개 (gae) works for most objects in casual speech.
Do I use native Korean or Sino-Korean numbers?
It depends on the counter. Most counters for things, people and animals take native numbers: 하나 (hana), 둘 (dul), 셋 (set) and so on. Counters for money, minutes, dates, floors and other measured units take Sino-Korean numbers: 일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam). Every counter on this page is marked with the system it uses, and the builder above does it for you.
Why does 하나 become 한 before a counter?
Five native numbers get shorter when a counter follows: 하나 (hana) becomes 한 (han), 둘 (dul) becomes 두 (du), 셋 (set) becomes 세 (se), 넷 (net) becomes 네 (ne), and 스물 (seumul) becomes 스무 (seumu). That's why it's 한 명 (han myeong, one person) and not 하나 명 (hana myeong). Bigger numbers ending in one to four change the same way, so it's 열한 명 (yeolhan myeong, eleven people) and 스물두 개 (seumuldu gae, twenty-two things). Every other number stays the same.