Intermediate - Lesson 5 - Counting Days, Weeks, and Years Lesson

Lesson created by Study Korean 

Counting the days in Korean such as saying one day, two days, and three days is very simple. All you have to do is take the Pure korean number system such as Hana, tul, and set and add the proper ending.

One day---Ha-ru (Hah-roo)

Two days---Iteul (Ee-tule)

Three days---Sa-heul (Sah-hule)

Four days---Na-heul (Nah-hule)

Five days---Tat-sae (Tah-say)

Six days---Yeot-sae (Yote-say)

Seven days---I-re (Ee-ray)

Eight days---Yeo-deu-re (Yo-tu-ray)

Nine days---A-heu-re (Ah-hoo-ray)

Ten days---Yeo-reul (Yo-rule)

When counting weeks in Korean the word for week is Chu-il (Chu-eel) and basically you take the Chinese derived numbers such as Il, I, sam, sa, and O and add Chu-Il at the end. Simple right?

One week---Il-chu-il (Eel-choo-eel)

Two weeks---I-chu-il (Ee-choo-eel)

Three weeks---Sam-chu-il (Sam-choo-eel)

Four weeks---Sa-chu-il (Sah-choo-eel)

Five weeks---O-chu-il (Oh-choo-eel)

Six weeks---Yuk-chu-il (Yuke-choo-eel)

Seven weeks---Chil-chu-il (Cheel-choo-eel)

Eight weeks---Pal-chu-il (Pahl-choo-eel)

Nine weeks---Ku-chu-il (Koo-choo-eel)

Ten weeks---Ship-chu-il (Sheep-choo-eel)

When counting years in Korean the word for Year is Nyeon and just like counting the weeks in Korean you are using the Chinese derived number system and adding the word Nyeon at the end.

One year---Il-nyeon (Eel-nee-yone)

Two years---I-nyeon (Ee-nee-yone)

Three years---Sam-nyeon (Sahm-nee-yone)

Four years---Sa-nyeon (Sah-nee-yone)

Five years---O-nyeon (Oh-nee-yone)

Six years---Yuk-nyeon (Yuke-nee-yone)

Seven years---Chil-nyeon (Cheel-nee-yone)

Eight years---Pal-nyeon (Pahl-nee-yone)

Nine years---Ku-nyeon (Koo-nee-yone)

Ten years---Ship-il-nyeon (Sheep-Eel-nee-yone)

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There are many theories about the origin and affiliation of the Korean language. What makes Korean linguistic affiliation very difficult to establish is its long history of contact with Chinese and Japanese. According to the so-called Southern theory, Korean belongs to the Austronesian language family. However, according to the Northern theory, supported by a number of linguists, Korean is a member of the Altaic language family. At the same time, some linguists point to some similarities between Korean and Japanese, suggesting that it might belong in the Japonic group of languages.  With the issue of the affiliation of Korean being unresolved, many sources classify it as a language isolate.

There are 48.5 million speakers of Korean in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and another 23.3 million in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). In addition, Korean is spoken by some 2.7 million people in Chinese provinces bordering North Korea. Korean speakers are also found in large numbers in Japan and Russia, the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, and many other countries throughout the world. The total number of Korean speakers worldwide is estimated to be around 77.2 million (Ethnologue).

Click on the MLA Interactive Language Map to find out where Korean is spoken in the US.