Korean Number Pronunciation327

Korean numbers are pronounced differently depending on their position in a number. There are two main types of Korean numbers: native Korean numbers and Sino-Korean numbers. Native Korean numbers are used for counting small numbers and for ordinal numbers, while Sino-Korean numbers are used for counting large numbers and for numbers in compound words.

Native Korean Numbers

The native Korean numbers are:
하나 (hana) - one
둘 (dul) - two
셋 (set) - three
넷 (net) - four
다섯 (daseot) - five
여섯 (yeoseot) - six
일곱 (ilgop) - seven
여덟 (yeodeol) - eight
아홉 (ahop) - nine
열 (yeol) - ten

The native Korean numbers are pronounced with a high tone on the first syllable and a low tone on the second syllable.

Sino-Korean Numbers

The Sino-Korean numbers are:
일 (il) - one
이 (i) - two
삼 (sam) - three
사 (sa) - four
오 (o) - five
육 (yuk) - six
칠 (chil) - seven
팔 (pal) - eight
구 (gu) - nine
십 (sip) - ten

The Sino-Korean numbers are pronounced with a low tone on the first syllable and a high tone on the second syllable.

Compound Numbers

When counting large numbers, the native Korean numbers and the Sino-Korean numbers are combined to form compound numbers. The native Korean numbers are used for the units and tens, while the Sino-Korean numbers are used for the hundreds, thousands, and so on.

For example, the number 123 is pronounced 일백 이십 삼 (ilbaek isip sam). The native Korean number 일 (il) is used for the unit, the native Korean number 백 (baek) is used for the ten, and the Sino-Korean number 삼 (sam) is used for the hundred.

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in a sequence. In Korean, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -번 (-beon) to the native Korean numbers.

For example, the first ordinal number is 일번 (ilbeon), the second ordinal number is 이번 (ibeon), and the third ordinal number is 셋번 (setbeon).

Irregular Numbers

There are a few irregular numbers in Korean.
The number four is pronounced 넷 (net) instead of 사 (sa).
The number seven is pronounced 일곱 (ilgop) instead of 칠곱 (chilgop).
The number nine is pronounced 아홉 (ahop) instead of 구홉 (guhop).

Tips for Pronouncing Korean Numbers

Here are a few tips for pronouncing Korean numbers:
Pay attention to the tone of the syllables.
Pronounce the numbers clearly and distinctly.
Practice regularly.

With a little practice, you will be able to pronounce Korean numbers correctly.

2025-02-09

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