1-3. Numeral(수사)

Numeral(수사)

Numerals represent numbers.

 

There are two flowers in the photo. Each flower has 4 petals.

 

꽃이 둘 피었다(Two flowers bloomed).

꽃잎이 넷이다(There are four petals).

 

Numerals, like nouns and pronouns, play the main role in sentences.

 

 

There are two criteria to divide numerals into two groups each. 

 

Criterion 1: whether they indicate quantity or order

Criterion 2: whether they are from pure Korean words or from Chinese words(=Sino-Korean words).

 

	Pure Korean words	Hanja(Sino-Korean) words*
Quantifier(양수사)	하나(1), 둘(2), 셋(3), 넷(4), 다섯(5), 여섯(6), 일곱(7), 여덟(8), 아홉(9), 열(10)	일(1), 이(2), 삼(3), 사(4), 오(5), 육(6), 칠(7), 팔(8), 구(9), 십(10)
Ordinal numeral(서수사)	첫째(1st), 둘째(2nd), 셋째(3rd), 넷째(4th), 다섯째(5th), 여섯째(6th), 일곱째(7th), 여덟째(8th), 아홉째(9th), 열째(10th)	제일(1st), 제이(2nd), 제삼(3rd), 제사(4th), 제오(5th), 제육(6th), 제칠(7th), 제팔(8th), 제구(9th), 제십(10th)

 

For a more detailed explanation, go to the words and expressions category.

 

 

 

 

[footnote]

*In Chinese characters, 1 to 10 are written as following:

一(1), 二(2), 三(3), 四(4), 五(5), 六(6), 七(7), 八(8), 九(9), 十(10)