Korean count word

Template:Short description Template:Korean grammar The Korean language uses special measure words or counting words for specific objects and events. These suffixes are called subullyusa (; Template:Category handler) in Korean. They are similar to the ones employed in the Chinese and the Japanese languages.

In English it is "two sheets of paper", not "two papers". Analogously, in Korean jang (; Template:Category handler) is used to count sheets or anything that is a paper-like material, for example:

In fact, the meanings of counter words are frequently extended in metaphorical or other image-based ways. For instance, in addition to counting simply sheets of paper, jang in Korean can be used to refer to any number of thin, paper-like objects. Leaves (namunnip 나뭇잎) are counted using this count word. In this way, a particular count word may be used generally in a very open-ended manner and up to the construal or creativity of the speaker.

There are two systems of numerals in Korean: native Korean and Sino-Korean. Native Korean numerals are used with most counter words, and usually count the number of an object, while Sino-Korean numerals are generally used for indicating a specific object in series, such as a specific lesson in a book, as well as monetary units and scientific measurements. Sometimes both types of numerals may be used, usually native Korean numerals indicating a quantity and Sino-Korean numerals indicating an ordinal. For example:

There are exceptions, such as native Korean numbers being used with , meaning "hour of the day". Additionally some counters (mostly those associated with traditional units) modify the pronunciation and spelling of the numerals that precede it, most notably 6월 is and 10월 is .

List of count words

Some count words take native Korean numerals:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gagu	kaku	families (ie. 10 households live on this cul-de-sac)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gae	kae	'things' in general, often used as a coverall when the specific count word is unknown (for example, by children)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaeguk	kaeguk	countries
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaeso	kaeso	places
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	geon	kŏn	cases, matters, documents
Template:Wikt-lang		gorang	korang	ridges/furrows made for planting crops
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwa	kwa	lessons (if paired with Sino-Korean numeral, lesson number)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gu	ku	corpses
Template:Wikt-lang		gunde	kunde	places
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwon	kwŏn	books
Template:Wikt-lang		geuru	kŭru	trees, shrubs
Template:Wikt-lang		dabal	tabal	bunches of flowers or plants
Template:Wikt-lang		dan	tan	bunches of Welsh onions, green onions, newspaper columns
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	dae	tae	vehicles (cars, airplanes, etc.) and machinery (incl. computers)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	dong	tong	buildings
Template:Wikt-lang		mari	mari	animals
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mae	mae	sheets of paper, photos, stamps, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	myeong	myŏng	people (informal)
Template:Wikt-lang		mogeum	mogŭm	mouthfuls (of liquid or gas)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mun	mun	cannons, big guns
Template:Wikt-lang		bakwi	pak'wi	times circling around an area
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bal	pal	bullets, shells, arrows, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		baljjak	paljjak	steps
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bang	pang	shots fired from a gun or cannon; number of times explosives are set; jabs; photos shot; farts
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bae	pae	glass of (usually alcoholic) beverages
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bae	pae	bowing
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	beon	pŏn	times a task is done
Template:Wikt-lang		beol	pŏl	items of clothing
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bu	pu	copies of printed material
Template:Wikt-lang		bun	pun	people (honorific)
Template:Wikt-lang		ppyeom	ppyŏm	hand spans
Template:Wikt-lang		sal	sal	years old (generally avoided when using honorifics)
Template:Wikt-lang		song-i	songi	picked flowers, bunches of fruit (grapes, bananas, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	su	su	turns taken in Janggi or Go
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	su	su	poems, songs; also animals
Template:Wikt-lang		sul	sul	spoonfuls of food
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	si	si	hour (of the day)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sigan	sigan	hours (in length)
Template:Wikt-lang		al	al	small, round objects (especially fruits) or grains
Template:Wikt-lang		omkeum	omk'ŭm	handfuls
Template:Wikt-lang		jaru	charu	things with long handles (writing instruments, shovels, swords, and rifles), and by extension, knives and pistols
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jang	chang	thin, flat objects (such as sheets of paper, glass, steel)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jeong	chŏng	tablets of medicine
Template:Wikt-lang		jeom	chŏm	artworks, very small amounts, pieces of sliced or ripped-off flesh, drops of rain, stones in the game of Go on the board or captured from the opponent, or wisps of clouds or wind
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	je	che	dosage of traditional medicine
Template:Wikt-lang		jul	chul	lines or things aligned in a row (kimbap, desks, chairs, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang		jjok	jjok	pieces
Template:Wikt-lang		chae	ch'ae	houses (also buildings, large objects, furniture, blankets)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheok	ch'ŏk	boats and ships
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheop	ch'ŏp	packs of Korean herbal medicine
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tang	t'ang	number of times doing something, especially number of trips made
Template:Wikt-lang		tol	t'ol	grains
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tong	t'ong	letters, telegrams, telephone calls, e-mails, documents
Template:Wikt-lang		tong	t'ong	watermelons
Template:Wikt-lang		pan	p'an	number of games won or lost
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pyeon	p'yŏn	books, literary works, movies, plays, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		pogi	p'ogi	Chinese cabbages
Template:Wikt-lang		pun	p'un	pennies
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pil	p'il	uncut fabric, horses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pilji	p'ilji	fields, housing sites, etc.
Template:Wikt-lang		hae	hae	earth's revolutions around the sun

Some count words take Sino-Korean numerals:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaenyeon	kaenyŏn	years
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gaewol	kaewŏl	months
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gwa	kwa	lesson number (native Korean for number of lessons)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gyo	kyo	number of times a draft has been proofread
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gyosi	kyosi	class number, class period number
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	nyeon	nyŏn	year (for dates; 2014년, 1998년)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	mu	mu	ties (in a game)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	beom	pŏm	penalties for a major crime
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bun	pun	minute (of an hour)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	bul	pul	dollar
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seok	sŏk	seats
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seon	sŏn	number of times elected to office; which term in a sequence a person has been in office
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	seung	sŭng	victories (in sports)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sil	sil	rooms
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	won	wŏn	won
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	wol	wŏl	month (for dates; 일월: January, 이월: February, ...; note that 6월 is written and pronounced 유월 and 10월 is likewise 시월)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	wi	wi	of rank or order (e.g. 1위 = first rank or order)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	il	il	day (for dates)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jeom	chŏm	grade (100점)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jo	cho	article or clause
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jugi	chugi	years since a person's death (used on that death's anniversary)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ju-il	chuil	weeks
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jip	chip	publication number (e.g. Opus number, album, magazine issue)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cho	ch'o	second (of a minute)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	chok	ch'ok	candela
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	chon	ch'on	degree of kinship; also a short unit of measurement, comparable to an inch
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tan	t'an	number of a work in a series
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ho	ho	houses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	hoe	hoe	number of times

Some nouns can also function as counter words. Nouns that were already listed are not included:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	gok	kok	songs
Template:Wikt-lang		geureut	kŭrŭt	bowls
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	byeong	pyŏng	bottles
Template:Wikt-lang		madi	madi	phrases, joints, body segments, musical measures, words
Template:Wikt-lang		saram	saram	people (informal)
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	sangja	sangja	boxes
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jan	chan	cups and glasses
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	cheung	ch'ŭng	floors (of a building), layers
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	tong	t'ong	containers, buckets

Some words are used for counting in multiples:

Hangul	Hanja	RR	MR	Usage
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	geup	kŭp	20 fish
Template:Wikt-lang		daseu	tasŭ	dozen (abbreviated from English)
Template:Wikt-lang		boru	poru	bundle of 10 packs of cigarettes
Template:Wikt-lang		bari	pari	2,000 fish
Template:Wikt-lang		son	son	handfuls of fish (2 large, 4-5 small), typically mackerels or yellow croakers
Template:Wikt-lang		uri	uri	2,000 tiles
Template:Wikt-lang		jeop	chŏp	100 fruits (for example, dried persimmons), radishes, cabbages, or bulbs of garlic
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	jok	chok	pairs (for items likes socks, shoes, gloves, etc.)
Template:Wikt-lang		chuk	ch'uk	20 cuttlefish
Template:Wikt-lang		kyeolle	k'yŏlle	pairs of socks, shoes, gloves
Template:Wikt-lang		ko	k'o	twenty dried pollock
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	ta	t'a	dozen
Template:Wikt-lang		tot	t'ot	one hundred sheets of laver
Template:Wikt-lang	Template:Wikt-lang	pan	p'an	thirty eggs

See also

• Measure word
• Classifier (linguistics)

References

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