Elementary - Grade 2
Lesson 2: Essential Vocabulary (Counters)
What Are Counters?
In English, we say "two students" or "three cats." In Korean, you must add a "counting word," or **counter**, after the number. It's similar to how we say "two *sheets* of paper" or "three *cups* of water." In Korean, this applies to almost everything!
The Rule: When counting, you almost always use the Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) we learned in the last lesson.
The Most Important Rule!
When the Native Korean numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 (and 20) come before a counter, they change their form slightly.
Numbers 5 (다섯) and up do not change!
Common Counters You Must Know
| Counter | What It Counts | Example (using the new rule) |
|---|---|---|
| 개 (gae) | General "things" or items. (The most common counter) | 사과 한 개 (sagwa han gae) - One apple |
| 명 (myeong) | People (formal) | 학생 두 명 (haksaeng du myeong) - Two students |
| 마리 (mari) | Animals | 고양이 세 마리 (goyangi se mari) - Three cats |
| 권 (gwon) | Books, notebooks | 책 네 권 (chaek ne gwon) - Four books |
| 병 (byeong) | Bottles (of water, soda, beer) | 물 다섯 병 (mul daseot byeong) - Five bottles (no change!) |
| 잔 (jan) | Cups, glasses (of coffee, wine) | 커피 여섯 잔 (keopi yeoseot jan) - Six cups (no change!) |
The Magic Formula
The standard formula is:
NOUN + NUMBER (Native) + COUNTER
(Example: 커피 두 잔 / keopi du jan / Coffee-Two-Cups)
This is one of the most fundamental patterns in Korean. Practice it well!