Counting things: 하나, 둘, 셋

A second set of numbers

하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, 다섯 — one to five again, in different words. This is the second number set, the native Korean one, and it is used for counting things and people.

The 일, 이, 삼 set from the last lesson stays with prices. In this lesson you only count, so only the new set appears.

A final ㅅ sounds like an unreleased [ㄷ]: 셋 [섿], 넷 [넫], 다섯 [다섣].

Six to ten

여섯, 일곱, 여덟, 아홉, 열 — six to ten. 여섯 and 여덟 start with the same block, so listen to the second one. 일곱 and 아홉 share their ending instead.

여덟 has two consonants at the bottom of its second block, but only the ㄹ is pronounced: [여덜].

Thing, number, then 개

Read the four phrases: 사과 한 개, 두 개, 세 개, 네 개 — one to four apples. Two things are different from English.

First, the order: the thing comes first, then the number, then a small word, 개. Second, the numbers are not quite the ones you just learned: not 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, but shorter forms. 개 is a counter, the general one for things; a number needs a counter after it, much as English says “two slices of bread”.

Four numbers shorten before a counter

Directly before a counter, 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세 and 넷 becomes 네. Each loses its last sound.

Only these four change. From 다섯 to 열 the number stays as it is: 다섯 개, 열 개. The full forms are for counting aloud — 하나, 둘, 셋 — or when no counter follows.

This 네 is “four”. It is spelled and pronounced like 네 “yes”; the counter after it tells you which one it is.

People are counted with 명

친구 세 명 — three friends. 학생 네 명 — four students. The pattern is unchanged: noun, short number, counter.

The counter depends on what is being counted. For people it is 명. 개 is for objects only and is never used for a person.

Drinks: by the cup or by the bottle

Two more counters, both for drinks. 잔 counts cups and glasses: 커피 한 잔, one cup of coffee. 병 counts bottles: 물 한 병, one bottle of water.

English does the same here — “a cup of”, “a bottle of” — only in the opposite order. In Korean the drink comes first, then the number, then the container.