First Greetings & Survival Phrases · Lesson 5 of 6

Numbers for Money — 일, 이, 삼

Ten words unlock every price in Korea — Korean numbers are more regular than English.

12 min

Korean has two number systems — and that sounds scarier than it is. Today's system, the Sino-Korean numbers, runs money, dates, and phone numbers. Ten words in, you can read any price in Korea.

One to ten

일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam), 사 (sa), 오 (o), 육 (yuk), 칠 (chil), 팔 (pal), 구 (gu), 십 (sip).

팁

Here's the delightful part: Korean numbers are more regular than English. No eleven, no twelve, no twenty — eleven is just 십일 (ten-one), twelve is 십이 (ten-two), twenty is 이십 (two-ten), twenty-five is 이십오 (two-ten-five). Learn 10 words, count to 99.

Build 37 out of the pieces.Show answer

삼십칠 (sam-sip-chil) — three-ten-seven. That's the whole rule.

The money words

Prices in Korea climb fast (1,000 won is roughly a dollar), so you'll want the bigger place words: 백 (baek, 100), 천 (cheon, 1,000), 만 (man, 10,000).

오천 원

ocheon won

5,000 won

오 (five) + 천 (thousand) + 원 (won, the currency)

만 원

man won

10,000 won

The most common bill in Korea — note it's just 만, not 일만.

Asking the price

얼마예요?

eolmayeyo?

How much is it?

Point at anything + 얼마예요? — then listen for the number words you just learned.

Try it — read the price tags

사천 원Show answer

sacheon won — 4,000 won. About the price of a coffee.

팔천 원Show answer

palcheon won — 8,000 won. A solid lunch.

A vendor says 이만 원 (iman won). How much is that?Show answer

20,000 won — 이 (two) × 만 (ten thousand).

What you just learned

일 이 삼 사 오 육 칠 팔 구 십 — and numbers stack with perfect logic.
백 / 천 / 만 unlock real Korean prices.
얼마예요? asks the price; ___원 is the answer.

Quick check

Did it stick?

Three quick questions — instant answers, no grades, no pressure.

1.How do you build 25 in Sino-Korean numbers?

2.오천 원 is…

3.To ask the price, say…

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Want the why behind the words?

The reading path explains the culture and logic that make Korean click — a perfect companion to these lessons.

Back to the Learning Path