How can I practise 고유어 수?

Step Ahead Korean offers free exercises on 고유어 수 with instant marking, answers and explanations in Hindi. You can also take timed tests.

Is 고유어 수 useful for TOPIK?

This topic is part of the Korean programme useful for TOPIK I, TOPIK II and school exams. Practising with exam-style questions improves accuracy and speed.

고유어 수

Numbers & Counters 1

Native Korean numbers run 하나, 둘, 셋 and are used for counting people and things up to about 99. Before a counter, some of them shorten: 하나 becomes 한.

Numbers & Counters — Native and Sino-Korean numbers with their counters.

Lesson

The everyday counting set

Native numbers are 하나 (one), 둘 (two), 셋 (three), 넷 (four), 다섯 (five), 여섯 (six), 일곱 (seven), 여덟 (eight), 아홉 (nine), 열 (ten). They are the older Korean set.

मूल संख्याएँ हैं 하나 (एक), 둘 (दो), 셋 (तीन), 넷 (चार), 다섯 (पाँच), 여섯 (छह), 일곱 (सात), 여덟 (आठ), 아홉 (नौ), 열 (दस)। यह कोरियाई की पुरानी संख्या-श्रृंखला है।

Shortening before a counter

When a native number sits directly before a counter, the last consonant drops: 하나 -> 한, 둘 -> 두, 셋 -> 세, 넷 -> 네, 스무살 has 스무. So we say 한 개, 두 명, 세 마리.

जब मूल संख्या सीधे गणक से पहले आती है तो अंतिम व्यंजन हट जाता है: 하나 -> 한, 둘 -> 두, 셋 -> 세, 넷 -> 네, 스무 살 में 스무। इसलिए 한 개, 두 명, 세 마리 कहते हैं।

Counting with native numbers

사과 한 개 주세요 (Please give me one apple). 학생 두 명이 왔어요 (Two students came). 고양이 세 마리가 있어요 (There are three cats). 우리는 네 명이에요 (We are four people).

사과 한 개 주세요 (एक सेब दीजिए)। 학생 두 명이 왔어요 (दो विद्यार्थी आए)। 고양이 세 마리가 있어요 (तीन बिल्लियाँ हैं)। 우리는 네 명이에요 (हम चार लोग हैं)।

Forgetting to shorten

Learners say 하나 개 instead of 한 개, and 셋 명 instead of 세 명. Before a counter always use the short form. The full forms 하나, 둘, 셋 stand alone only when counting out loud.

शिक्षार्थी 한 개 की जगह 하나 개 और 세 명 की जगह 셋 명 कह देते हैं। गणक से पहले सदा छोटा रूप लगाएँ। पूरे रूप 하나, 둘, 셋 तभी आते हैं जब ज़ोर से गिनती गिनी जाए।

Native stops around 99

Above about 99 Korean switches to Sino numbers entirely, so you rarely need native forms past 열. Learn one to ten with the short forms first - that gives you almost every everyday count.

लगभग 99 के बाद कोरियाई पूरी तरह हान्जा संख्याओं पर चला जाता है, इसलिए 열 से आगे मूल रूप कम पड़ते हैं। पहले एक से दस तक छोटे रूपों सहित सीखें - इसी से रोज़ की लगभग हर गिनती बन जाती है।

Practice questions

Q1. 다음을 한국어로 번역하세요: one, two, three.

इसे कोरियाई में लिखें: एक, दो, तीन।

Answer: 하나, 둘, 셋

💡 고유어 수 1, 2, 3은 하나, 둘, 셋이에요.

Q2. 우리 집에는 고양이가 ___ 마리 있어요. (four)

हमारे घर में चार बिल्लियाँ हैं।

Answer: 네

💡 마리 앞에서 넷은 네로 줄어 네 마리가 돼요.

Q3. 저는 사과 두 개와 우유 한 병을 샀어요.

मैंने दो सेब और एक बोतल दूध ख़रीदा।

두 개
한 병
세 개
한 개

Answer: 두 개

💡 사과 두 개에서 사과는 두 개예요.

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