Korean count word

Korean count word

Like Japanese and Chinese, Korean uses special measure or counting words to count objects and events.

In English, one must say, "two sheets of paper" rather than "two papers". In Korean, the term "jang" (장) is used to count sheets, or paper-like material in general. So "ten bus tickets" would be "beoseu pyo yeol jang" (버스 표 열 장), literally, "bus ticket ten 'sheets'".

There are two systems of numerals in Korean: native Korean and Sino-Korean. Native Korean numerals are used with most counter words. "yeol gwa" (열 과) would mean 'ten lessons' while "sip gwa" (십 과) would mean 'lesson ten.' Sino-Korean numerals are used with many time counters.

Examples

A few counter words:
* beol (벌) -- items of clothing
* bun (분) -- people (polite)
* cheok (척) -- boats and ships
* chae (채) -- houses
* dae (대) -- vehicles (cars, airplanes) and machinery
* dan (단) -- bunches of Welsh onions, green onions
* gae (개) -- 'things' in general, can be used if you're not sure which specific counting word to use.
* geuru (그루) -- trees
* gwa (과) -- lessons
* gwon (권) -- books
* jang (장) -- paper
* jaru (자루) -- things with long handles (writing instruments, shovels, swords, and rifles), and by extension, knives and pistols
* kyeolle (켤레) -- gloves and socks
* mari (마리) -- animals
* myeong (명) -- people (informal)
* pil (필) -- uncut fabric
* pogi (포기) -- Chinese cabbages
* pun (푼) -- pennies
* song-i (송이) -- picked flowers
* song-i (송이) -- bunches of grapes, bunches of bananas
* tol (톨) -- grains of rice (not cooked)
* tong (통) -- letters, telegrams, telephone calls, and e-mail
* tong (통) -- watermelons

Some nouns can also function as counter words:
* byeong (병) -- bottles
* cheung (층) -- floors (of a building), layers
* gok (곡) -- songs
* jan (잔) -- cups and glasses
* madi (마디) -- phrases, joints, and musical measures
* saram (사람) -- people (informal)
* tong (통) -- containers, buckets

Some words are used for counting in multiples:
* jeop (접) -- one hundred dried persimmons
* jul (줄) -- ten eggs
* ko (코) -- twenty octopuses
* pan (판) -- thirty eggs
* son (손) -- two fish (typically mackerels or yellow croakers)
* taseu (타스) -- dozens of pencils
* tot (톳) -- one hundred sheets of lavers

ee also

* List of Korea-related topics
* Measure word


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Korean language — This article is about the spoken Korean language. For details of the native Korean writing system, see Hangul. Korean 한국어, 조선말 Hangugeo, Chosŏnmal …   Wikipedia

  • Korean numerals — The Korean language has two regularly used sets of numerals, a Sino Korean system and a native Korean system. ConstructionFor both native and Sino Korean numerals, the teens (11 through 19) are represented by a combination of tens and the ones… …   Wikipedia

  • Korean diaspora — Hangul 동포 / 교포 Hanja 同胞 / …   Wikipedia

  • Count — Countess redirects here. For other uses, see Countess (disambiguation). This article is about the style or title of nobility. For other uses, see Count (disambiguation). Coronet of a count (Spanish Heraldry) …   Wikipedia

  • North–South differences in the Korean language — There are a small number of differences in the standard forms of the Korean language used in the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (North Korea; hereafter the North ) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea; hereafter the South ), due to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Japanese counter word — In Japanese, counter words or counters ( josūshi ) are used along with numbers to count things, actions, and events.In Japanese, as in Chinese and Korean, numerals cannot quantify nouns by themselves (except, in certain cases, for the numbers… …   Wikipedia

  • Classifier (linguistics) — A classifier, in linguistics, sometimes called a measure word, is a word or morpheme used in some languages to classify the referent of a countable noun according to its meaning. In languages that have classifiers, they are often used when the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Korea-related topics (K) — This is a partial list of Korea related topics beginning with K. For Korean words starting with ㄱ, see also under G.korean indexKK2 League, a second tier football league in South Korea.Ka*Kaesŏng, a city in North Korea. *Kaesŏng Industrial Region …   Wikipedia

  • Infinite Challenge — Promotional Logo Also known as Muhan Dojeon Genre Comedy, Variety, Rea …   Wikipedia

  • Chinese classifier — See also: List of Chinese classifiers simplified traditional …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”