UNIT 10

Counters, question word ⳝ my9t,

and some time expressions

Counters

What a counter does is to classify nouns according to common attributes

for numbering purposes. Therefore, by using a counter, you can provide
more information about the object you count. The Korean language has
an extensive list of counters. Some counters are used only with the native
Korean numbers, whereas some counters are used only with the Sino-Korean
numbers. Table 10.1 shows the counters that are normally used with the
native Korean numbers. However, when the number is above 20 these
counters can also be used with Sino-Korean numbers.

Table 10.1 Some major Korean counters used with native Korean numbers
counter kinds of things examples of counting
counted
ⳛG persons 䞲GⳛSG⚦GⳛSG㎎GⳛSGUGUGUG㡊GⳛSGUGUGU
㌂⧢G persons 䞲G㌂⧢SG⚦㌂⧢SG㎎㌂⧢SGUGUGUG┺㎅G㌂⧢SGUGUGU
ⰞⰂG animals 䞲GⰞⰂSG⚦GⰞⰂSG㎎GⰞⰂSGUGUGUG㡊⍺GⰞⰂSGUGUGU
㕣G couples (people 䞲G㕣SG⚦G㕣SG㎎G㕣SGUGUGUG㡂▵G㕣SGUGUGU
G and animals)
㏷㧊G flowers 䞲G㏷㧊SG⚦G㏷㧊SG㎎G㏷㧊SGUGUGUG㡊G㏷㧊SGUGUGU
┺⹲G bunches (of flowers) 䞲G┺⹲SG⚦G┺ⰦSG㎎G┺⹲SGUGUGUG㡊G┺⹲SGUGUGU
⁎⬾G trees 䞲G⁎⬾SG⚦G⁎⬾SG㎎G⁎⬾SGUGUGUG㡊⍺G⁎⬾SGUGUGU
㫆ṗG slices 䞲G㫆ṗSG⚦G㫆ṗSG㎎G㫆ṗSGUGUGUG┺㎅G㫆ṗSGUGUGU
ṲG items, units 䞲GṲSG⚦GṲGSG㎎GṲSGUGUGUG㡊GṲSGUGUGU
㌗㧦G boxes 䞲G㌗㧦SG⚦G㌗㧦SG㎎G㌗㧦SGUGUGUG㧒὇G㌗㧦SGUGUGU
╖G machines, cars 䞲G╖SG⚦G╖SG㎎G╖SGUGUGUG㞚䢟G╖SGUGUGU
㺚G houses, buildings 䞲G㺚SG⚦G㺚SG㎎G㺚SGUGUGUG㡂▵G㺚SGUGUGU
㔲G o’clock 䞲G㔲SG⚦G㔲SG㎎G㔲SGUGUGUG㡊G⚦㔲SGUGUGU
㔲ṚG hours (duration) 䞲G㔲ṚSG⚦G㔲ṚSG㎎G㔲ṚSGUGUGUG㓺ⶊG㔲ṚSGUGUGU
╂G months (duration) 䞲G╂SG⚦G╂SG㎎G╂SGUGUGUG㞚䢟G╂SGUGUGU
䟊G years 䞲G䟊SG⚦G䟊SG㎎G䟊SGUGUGUG㡂㎅G䟊SGUGUGU
㌊G years of age 䞲G㌊SG⚦G㌊SG㎎G㌊SGUGUGUG㍲⯎G⚦㌊SGUGUGU
⻞G times 䞲G⻞SG⚦G⻞SG㎎G⻞SGUGUGUG㡂㎅G⻞SGUGUGUGG
㧪G cupfuls 䞲G㧦SG⚦G㧪SG㎎G㧪SGUGUGUG㡊┺㎅G㧪SGUGUGU

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74 Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions

Table 10.1 continued

counter kinds of things examples of counting
counted
⼧G bottles 䞲G⼧SG⚦⼧SG㎎G⼧SGUGUGUG㡂▵G⼧SGUGUGUG㓆G
G G ⚦G⼧SGUGUGU
⽟㰖G paper bags 䞲G⽟㰖SG⚦G⽟㰖SG㎎G⽟㰖SGUGUGUG㓺ⶊG⽟㰖SGUGUGU
㧻G pieces of paper 䞲G㧻SG⚦G㧻SG㎎G㧻SGUGUGUG㍲⯎G㧻SGUGUGU
ῢG books 䞲GῢSG⚦GῢSG㎎GῢSGUGUGUG㡊⍺GῢSGUGUGU
ῆ◆G places 䞲Gῆ◆SG⚦Gῆ◆SG㎎Gῆ◆SGUGUGUG㧒὇Gῆ◆SGUGUGU
䅺⩞G pairs of shoes 䞲G䅺⩞SG⚦G䅺⩞SG㎎G䅺⩞SGUGUGUG㡊G䅺⩞SGUGUGU
⻢G clothes 䞲G⻢SG⚦G⻢SG㎎G⻢SGUGUGUG㡊G⻢SGUGUGU
Ṗ㰖G kinds 䞲GṖ㰖SG⚦GṖ㰖SG㎎GṖ㰖SGUGUGUG㡊┺㎅GṖ㰖SGUGUGU

On the other hand, Table 10.2 shows the counters that are used only with
Sino-Korean numbers. Notice that when the counter is a loanword, such as
╂⧒ “dollars,” Ⱎ㧒 “miles,” and ⹎䎆 “meters,” Koreans in general prefer
to use Sino-Korean numbers, as in 㕃㡺G╂⧒ “fifteen dollars.”

Table 10.2 Some major Korean counters used with Sino-Korean numbers
counter kinds of things examples of counting
counted
㧒 days 㧒G㧒SG㧊G㧒SG㌒G㧒SGUGUGUG㌂㕃㡺G㧒SGUGUGU
㤪 month names 㧒G㤪SG㧊G㤪SG㌒G㤪SGUGUGUG䕪G㤪SGUGUGU
Ṳ㤪 months (duration) 㧒GṲ㤪SG㧊GṲ㤪SG㌒GṲ㤪SGUGUGUG䂶GṲ㤪SGUGUGU
⎚ years 㧒G⎚SG㧊G⎚SG㌒G⎚SGUGUGUGῂG⎚SGUGUGU
⿚ minutes 㧒G⿚SG㧊G⿚SG㌒G⿚SGUGUGUG㡺㕃㥷G⿚SGUGUGU
㽞 seconds 㧒G㽞SG㧊G㽞SG㌒G㽞SGUGUGUG㕃䂶G㽞SGUGUGU
䂋 floors (of a building) 㧒G䂋SG㧊G䂋SG㌒G䂋SGUGUGUG㌒㕃㌂G䂋SGUGUGU
╂⧒ dollars 㧒G╂⧒SG㧊G╂⧒SG㌒G╂⧒SGUGUGUG
G G ⺇㡺㕃䕪G╂⧒SGUGUGU
䕢㤊✲ pounds (sterling) 㧒G䕢㤊✲SG㧊G䕢㤊✲SG㌒G䕢㤊✲SG
G G UGUGUG㕃G䕢㤊✲SGUGUGU
Ⱎ㧒 miles 㧒GⰞ㧒SG㧊GⰞ㧒SG㌒GⰞ㧒SGUGUGUG䂶㕃ῂG
G G Ⱎ㧒SGUGUGU

As seen above, the choice of a certain counter depends on the kinds of

objects. However, one must know what counter is used with either a native
Korean number or a Sino-Korean number. For instance, when counting
minutes, you have to use ⿚Gafter a Sino-Korean number, as in 㡺G⿚ “five
minutes.”
A few counters, such as 㭒㧒 or 㭒Ṛ “week,” can be used with both
Sino-Korean numbers as well as native Korean numbers. For instance,
one week can be either 䞲G㭒Ṛ or 㧒G㭒Ṛ and five weeks can be either
┺㎅G 㭒Ṛ or 㡺G 㭒Ṛ. However, the use of Sino-Korean numbers with
this counter is more common.

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Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions 75

Question word ⳝ

Korean has a question word ⳝ “how many.” The word cannot be used
on its own but must precede a counter. For example, a specific question
expression such as “how many people” would be ⳝGⳛ, “how many months”
would be ⳝG ╂, and so on. One can form various question expressions
using the aforementioned counters, such as:

ⳝGⳛf “How many people?”

ⳝGṲf “How many items?”
ⳝG㔲f “What time?”
ⳝG㌊f “How old?”
ⳝG⼧f “How many bottles?”
ⳝGῢf “How many (books)?”
ⳝG㤪f “What month?”
ⳝG䂋f “What floor?”

Some frequently used counters

Using the appropriate counters with the right number set is a systematic but
complex process. Students need to practice them in order to be proficient
in using them. For instance, let us elaborate on some of the frequently
used counters used for telling times, days, months, and years.

Telling times
Koreans use native Korean numbers for 㔲 “o’clock” but Sino-Korean
numbers for ⿚ “minutes.” In addition, for a.m. and p.m., Koreans use the
following five words: 㞚䂾 “morning” or 㡺㩚 “before noon” for a.m., and
㡺䤚 “afternoon,” 㩖⎗ “evening,” and ⹺ “night” for p.m., at the beginning
of the expression.

07:36 a.m. 㞚䂾GO–™G㡺㩚PG㧒὇G㔲G㌒㕃㥷G⿚

08:10 a.m. 㞚䂾GO–™G㡺㩚P 㡂▵G㔲G㕃G⿚
10:45 a.m. 㡺㩚G㡊G㔲G㌂㕃㡺G⿚
02:50 p.m. 㡺䤚G⚦G㔲G㡺㕃G⿚
06:17 p.m. 㩖⎗ O–™G㡺䤚P 㡂㎅G㔲G㕃䂶G⿚
09:24 p.m. ⹺ O–™G㡺䤚PG㞚䢟G㔲G㧊㕃㌂G⿚
11:38 p.m. ⹺ O–™G㡺䤚PG㡊䞲G㔲G㌒㕃䕪G⿚

To say half past, you can either say “㌓㕃G⿚” or an expression ⹮, meaning
“a half.” Consequently, the Korean expression for telling 11:30 p.m. can
be: 㡺䤚GO–™G⹺PG㡊G䞲㔲G㌒㕃G⿚GO–™G⹮P.

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76 Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions

Counting days
Counting days with Sino-Korean numbers is regular. You need to add 㧒
“a counter for day” after the number, such as 㧒G㧒, 㧊G㧒, ㌒G㧒, and so
on. However, counting days with native Korean numbers is irregular, in
that there are special words for days up to 20 as shown below.

one day 㧒G㧒G 䞮⬾

two days 㧊G㧒G 㧊䔖
three days ㌒G㧒G ㌂䦮
four days ㌂G㧒G ⋮䦮
five days 㡺G㧒G ╍㌞
six days 㥷G㧒G 㡕㌞
seven days 䂶G㧒G 㧊⩞
eight days 䕪G㧒G 㡂✲⩞
nine days ῂG㧒G 㞚䦦⩞
ten days 㕃G㧒G 㡊䦮
eleven days 㕃㧒G㧒G 㡊䞮⬾
twelve days 㕃㧊G㧒G 㡊㧊䔖
thirteen days 㕃㌒G㧒G 㡊㌂䦮
twenty days 㧊㕃G㧒G 㓺ⶊ⋶

After 20, only Sino-Korean expressions are used.

Counting months and years

Koreans use Sino-Korean numbers for counting months. Hence, you need
to add 㤪 “months” after a Sino-Korean number, as in 㧒G㤪, 㧊G㤪, ㌒G㤪,
and so on. However, be careful that Koreans do not say June as 㥷㤪 but
㥶㤪 and October not as 㕃㤪 but 㔲㤪.

January 㧒G㤪
February 㧊G㤪
March ㌒G㤪
April ㌂G㤪
May 㡺G㤪
June 㥶G㤪
July 䂶G㤪
August 䕪G㤪
September ῂG㤪
October 㔲G㤪
November 㕃㧒G㤪
December 㕃㧊G㤪

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Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions 77

For months (duration), however, you can use either native Korean numbers
or Sino-Korean numbers. When counting with Sino-Korean numbers, you
add Ṳ㤪 after the number as in 㧒G Ṳ㤪, 㧊G Ṳ㤪, ㌒G Ṳ㤪, and so on.
When counting with native Korean numbers, you add ╂ after the number,
as in 䞲G╂, ⚦G╂, and so on.

1 month (duration) 㧒GṲ㤪G 䞲G╂

2 months 㧊GṲ㤪G ⚦G╂
3 months ㌒GṲ㤪G ㎎G╂ (or ㍳G╂)
4 months ㌂GṲ㤪G ⍺G╂ (or ⍟G╂)
5 months 㡺GṲ㤪G ┺㎅G╂
6 months 㥷GṲ㤪G 㡂㎅G╂
7 months 䂶GṲ㤪G 㧒὇G╂
8 months 䕪GṲ㤪G 㡂▵G╂
9 months ῂGṲ㤪G 㞚䢟G╂

For years, Koreans normally use Sino-Korean numbers with ⎚ “year,” such
as 㧒G ⎚, 㧊 ⎚, ㌒G ⎚, and so on. They use native Korean numbers for
years only for small numbers, such as 䞲G䟊 and ⚦G䟊. However, Koreans
rarely use native Korean numbers beyond ⚦ 䟊.

1 year 㧒G⎚G 䞲G䟊

2 years 㧊G⎚G ⚦G䟊
3 years ㌒G⎚ –
4 years ㌂G⎚ –
5 years 㡺G⎚ –
60 years 㥷㕃G⎚ –
100 years ⺇G⎚ –

Dates
Let us put all these expressions together. Koreans give dates starting from
the largest unit to the smallest. This is the opposite of the English expres-
sion. For instance, date information such as “2:19 p.m., 18 May, 1970” is
said as “(㧒)㻲ῂ⺇G 䂶㕃⎚G 㡺㤪G 㕃䕪㧒, 㡺䤚G ⚦G 㔲G 㕃ῂG ⿚.” Here are
more examples:

9:35 a.m., 11 April, 2004

㧊㻲㌂G⎚SG㌂G㤪G㕃㧒G㧒SG㡺㩚G㞚䢟G㔲G㌒㕃㡺G⿚
3:57 p.m., 25 December, 1992
O㧒P㻲ῂ⺇Gῂ㕃㧊G⎚SG㕃㧊G㤪G㧊㕃㡺G㧒SG㡺䤚G㎎G㔲G㡺㕃䂶G⿚
7:08 a.m., 16 March, 1979
O㧒P㻲ῂ⺇G䂶㕃ῂG⎚SG㌒G㤪G㕃㥷G㧒SG㡺㩚G㧒὇G㔲G䕪G⿚

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78 Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions

Exercises
Exercise 10.1

Translate the following into English:

Example: ⚦Gⳛ
= two people

1 ㎎GⰞⰂ 6 ┺㎅G㫆ṗ 11 㡊G⻞

2 ⍺G㔲Ṛ 7 㡂㎅G⼧ 12 䂶㕃㥷GⰞ㧒
3 䞲GṖ㰖 8 㓺ⶊ㌊ 13 ㌒⺇㡺㕃ῂG╂⧒
4 㡊G㎎Ṳ 9 㓺ⶒ⍺Gῢ 14 㕃䕪GṲ㤪
5 ㍲⯎G㡂㎅G㕣 10 㞚䦪G㡂▵Gⳛ 15 ⺇㧊㕃G⿚

Exercise 10.2

Translate the following into Korean:

Korean: five people

= ┺㎅Gⳛ

1 7 bottles 6 2 places 11 3 couples

2 9 slices 7 12 boxes 12 1 paper bag
3 11 years old 8 8 cups 13 September
4 4 floors 9 13 months 14 60 seconds
5 36 years 10 6 items 15 5 hours

Exercise 10.3

Translate the following into figures:

Example: 㡺䤚G㎎G㔲G 㡺㕃㥷G⿚

= 03:56 p.m.

1 㡺㩚G㡊G㔲G㌂㕃㡺G⿚ 6 㡺㩚G㞚䢟G㔲G㌒㕃㧊G⿚
2 㡺䤚G㧒὇G㔲G㡺㕃G⿚ 7 㡺䤚G㡂㎅G㔲G㕃䕪G⿚
3 㞚䂾G㡂▵G㔲G 8 㞚䂾G㡊G㔲GῂG⿚
4 㩖⎗G㡂㎅G㔲G㧊㕃䂶G⿚ 9 㩖⎗G㧒὇G㔲G⹮
5 㡺㩚G⍺G㔲G㌂㕃㥷G⿚ 10 㡺䤚G┺㎅G㔲G㌒㕃㌂G⿚

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