Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 11
몇 살이에요?How old are you?
We learn native-Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…). Unlike the Sino numbers (일, 이, 삼), native numbers count age, hours, and objects. A key change: before a counter (살, 개, etc.) 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네, 스물→스무 shorten. Ask age with "몇 살이에요?" and answer like "스무 살이에요". Hangul corner: reading the 받침 in 다섯/여섯/여덟.
Dialogue
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몇 살이에요?— How Old Are You?
- Minsu마이클씨,몇살이에요?Michael, how old are you?
- Michael저는이십살이에요.I'm twenty. (slip: 이십 is Sino; age uses native 스무 → 스무 살)
- Minsu나이는고유어수로—"스무살"이에요.저도스무살이에요.Age uses native numbers — it's "스무 살". I'm twenty too.
- Michael아,스무살이에요!제동생은열다섯살이에요.Ah, I'm twenty! My younger sibling is fifteen.
Dialogue
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가족 나이— Family Ages
- Jieun동생이있어요?저는동생이한명있어요.Do you have a younger sibling? I have one.
- Michael네,동생은열둘살이에요.Yes, my younger sibling is twelve. (slip: 열둘 살 — before 살, 둘 → 두)
- Jieun셈단위앞에서는"열두살"이에요.동생은열두살이에요?Before a counter it's "열두 살". So your sibling is twelve?
- Michael네!동생은열두살이에요.형은스물두살이에요.Yes! My younger sibling is twelve. My older brother is twenty-two.
Vocabulary
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- 하나
numeralone (native)
- 둘
numeraltwo (native)
- 셋
numeralthree (native)
- 넷
numeralfour (native)
- 다섯
numeralfive (native)
- 여섯
numeralsix (native)
- 일곱
numeralseven (native)
- 여덟
numeraleight (native)
- 아홉
numeralnine (native)
- 열
numeralten (native)
- 스물
numeraltwenty (native)
- 살
count.counter: years of age
Grammar
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Native-Korean numbers · 살
Explanation
Native numbers: 하나 둘 셋 넷 다섯 여섯 일곱 여덟 아홉 열, then 스물 (20). They are used differently from Sino numbers (일 이 삼) — native numbers count age (살), hours, and objects. The key rule: before a counter, 1–4 and 20 shorten — 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네, 스물→스무. So "한 살", "두 살", "스무 살". To ask age: "몇 살이에요?".
Examples
- 몇살이에요?How old are you?
- 스무 살이에요.I'm twenty. (스물 → 스무 before 살)
- 열아홉 살이에요.I'm nineteen.
- 동생은 다섯 살이에요.My younger sibling is five. (다섯 doesn't shorten)
Hangul
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한글 복습: 고유어 수와 받침— Hangul Review: Native Numbers & 받침
Read the native numbers aloud:
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