Prices, receipts, and market talk all use numbers — and Korean has two number systems. For money and shopping, you mainly need Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼…). Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋) are used more for counting things like age or some quantities, but won amounts are Sino-Korean.
This guide focuses on what beginners need to understand prices in Korea and buy things confidently.
Two systems (quick overview)
| Native Korean | Sino-Korean | Main uses |
|---|---|---|
| 하나, 둘, 셋 | 일, 이, 삼 | Native: age, some counters; Sino: money, dates, phone numbers, math |
For money: use Sino-Korean.
Sino-Korean numbers 1–10
| Number | Hangul | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 일 | il |
| 2 | 이 | i |
| 3 | 삼 | sam |
| 4 | 사 | sa |
| 5 | 오 | o |
| 6 | 육 | yuk |
| 7 | 칠 | chil |
| 8 | 팔 | pal |
| 9 | 구 | gu |
| 10 | 십 | sip |
Building bigger numbers
Korean numbers are logical blocks:
- 11 = 십일 (10+1)
- 20 = 이십 (2×10)
- 21 = 이십일
- 100 = 백
- 1,000 = 천
- 10,000 = 만
Examples
- 15 → 십오
- 42 → 사십이
- 99 → 구십구
- 100 → 백
- 101 → 백일
- 250 → 이백오십
- 1,000 → 천
- 3,500 → 삼천오백
The won (원) system
Korean currency is 원 (won).
Important cultural/math point: 10,000 won units are very common.
- 10,000 = 만 원
- 20,000 = 이만 원
- 50,000 = 오만 원
- 100,000 = 십만 원
Price examples
- 3,000 won → 삼천 원
- 4,500 won → 사천오백 원
- 12,000 won → 만 이천 원
- 35,000 won → 삼만 오천 원
- 128,000 won → 십이만 팔천 원
How prices are often said
Staff might say:
- 오천 원입니다 — It’s 5,000 won.
- 만 원이에요 — It’s 10,000 won.
- 삼천오백 원요 — 3,500 won.
You can answer:
- 네, 카드로 결제할게요.
- 현금으로 할게요.
Shopping phrases with numbers
- 얼마예요? — How much is it?
- 이거 얼마예요? — How much is this?
- 할인되나요? — Is there a discount?
- 카드 되나요? — Do you take cards?
- 영수증 주세요 — Receipt, please.
Quantity + item (mix carefully)
Counters can be tricky. For beginners in shops:
- Point + 이걸로 주세요 (this one, please)
- Or use simple cup/bottle counts you already know: 한 개, 두 개 (native) for some items
Don’t freeze on counters — communication first.
Listening strategy for beginners
Prices fly by quickly at registers. Train your ear for anchors:
- 천 (1,000)
- 만 (10,000)
- 백 (100)
- 오백 (500) — very common endings
If you catch 만 and 천, you can estimate even if you miss a digit.
Practice set (say out loud)
Convert to Korean:
- 1,000 won
- 2,500 won
- 7,000 won
- 10,000 won
- 18,000 won
- 42,000 won
- 99,000 won
Answers
- 천 원
- 이천오백 원
- 칠천 원
- 만 원
- 만 팔천 원
- 사만 이천 원
- 구만 구천 원
Market vs convenience store
- Convenience stores: card/mobile pay common; screen shows price
- Cafés: same
- Traditional markets: more cash / spoken prices — great listening practice, ask 얼마예요? clearly
Phone numbers vs money (same digits, different rhythm)
Phone numbers also use Sino-Korean (with some pronunciation changes), but money includes 원 and often 만/천 chunks. Practice them separately so your brain doesn’t mix contexts.
Common mistakes
- Using native numbers for money (하나 원 ❌)
- Forgetting that 만 = 10,000, not 1,000
- Hearing 오천 (5,000) as 오만 (50,000) — big difference
- Saying numbers too fast; clarity matters
Mini dialogue
You: 이거 얼마예요?
Seller: 만 오천 원이에요.
You: 네, 이걸로 주세요. 카드로 결제할게요.
Seller: 네, 감사합니다.
You: 감사합니다.
Study plan (7 days)
- Day 1–2: 1–100 Sino-Korean
- Day 3: 百/千 patterns (백/천)
- Day 4: 만 money units
- Day 5: Read real menu prices aloud
- Day 6: Listen to café order totals on YouTube
- Day 7: Quiz yourself with random price flashcards
Final thoughts
For shopping in Korea, Sino-Korean numbers plus 원 and 만 unlock real independence. You don’t need perfect speed — you need reliable recognition of 천, 만, and 얼마예요?
Combine this with café ordering phrases, and everyday transactions become manageable fast.
Receipt reading practice
After each purchase, read the total aloud in Korean. Look for the final amount in 원 and practice chunks with 천 and 만. If the total is 16,800, say 만 육천팔백 원. Ten real receipts beat one long worksheet.
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