Chapter 18
Big Number Essentials
For big numbers, Korean mainly uses Sino-Korean. Learn the core units (100, 1,000, 10,000) and how to read phone numbers and addresses.
Core units: 백 / 천 / 만
| Unit | Korean | Romanization | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 백 | baek | |
| 1,000 | 천 | cheon | |
| 10,000 | 만 | man |
Important: 만 = 10,000. Korean groups large numbers by 만 (10,000), not by thousand.
How to build numbers
Rule: (multiplier) + (unit). If the multiplier is 1, it’s often omitted. Example: 100 = 백 (not 일백).
| Number | Korean | Built from | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 백 | (일)백 | |
| 200 | 이백 | 이 + 백 | |
| 1,000 | 천 | (일)천 | |
| 3,000 | 삼천 | 삼 + 천 | |
| 10,000 | 만 | (일)만 | |
| 20,000 | 이만 | 이 + 만 |
Common examples (everyday scale)
| Number | Korean | Reading tip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,234 | 천이백삼십사 | 천 + 이백 + 삼십 + 사 | |
| 9,999 | 구천구백구십구 | No 만 yet | |
| 10,000 | 만 | New grouping starts here | |
| 12,345 | 만이천삼백사십오 | 만 + 이천 + 삼백 + 사십 + 오 | |
| 50,000 | 오만 | Often seen in prices | |
| 100,000 | 십만 | 십 + 만 | |
| 1,000,000 | 백만 | 백 + 만 |
Quick landmark: 100,000 = 십만, 1,000,000 = 백만.
Zero: 영 vs 공
| 0 | Korean | Used for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 영 (yeong) | math, counting, formal number reading | |
| 0 | 공 (gong) | phone numbers, codes (very common) |
Phone numbers
Phone numbers are usually read digit-by-digit. Hyphens show natural breaks.
| Digit | Korean | Romanization | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 공 / 영 | gong / yeong | |
| 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 |
| Example | Read as | Tip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 010-1234-5678 | 공일공 / 일이삼사 / 오육칠팔 | Most common style: digit-by-digit | |
| 02-345-6789 | 공이 / 삼사오 / 육칠팔구 | Read each chunk smoothly |
In phone numbers, 공 for 0 is extremely common. Either 공 or 영 is understood.
Addresses (very basic)
Korean addresses often include building numbers. These are typically read as Sino-Korean numbers (not Native).
| Type | Example | Read as (approx.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street/building number | 12번 | 십이번 (12 + 번) | |
| Floor | 3층 | 삼층 (3 + 층) | |
| Room/Unit | 101호 | 일공일호 (often digit-by-digit) |
Tip: For unit numbers like 101호, people often read the digits (일-공-일) instead of saying 백일.
Chapter goal: recognize 백/천/만, build big numbers quickly, and read phone numbers and common address numbers confidently.