Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 12

사과 두 개 있어요There are two apples

Sagwa du gae isseoyo

How to count things: noun + native number (counter form) + counter. The counter depends on the kind of thing — 개 (general objects), 마리 (animals), 권 (books), 장 (flat things like paper). The shortened forms from ch11 (한, 두, 세, 네…) apply: "사과 두 개", "고양이 한 마리", "책 세 권". New words: apple, book, notebook, bag, chair, desk, thing. Hangul corner: reading number + counter as one fluent chunk.

Dialogue

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사과 두 개 있어요— There Are Two Apples

Minsu가ga방bang에e사sa과gwa가ga있iss어eo요yo?몇myeot개gae있iss어eo요yo?Are there apples in the bag? How many?
Michael사sa과gwa둘dul개gae있iss어eo요yo.There are two apples. (slip: 둘 개 — before a counter, 둘 → 두)
Minsu셈sem단dan위wi앞ap에e서seo는neun"두du개gae"예ye요yo.사sa과gwa두du개gae있iss어eo요yo?Before a counter it's "두 개". So, two apples?
Michael네ne,사sa과gwa두du개gae하ha고go공gong책chaek한han권gwon있iss어eo요yo.Yes, two apples and one notebook. (notebook → 권)

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책 세 권— Three Books

Jieun책chaek상sang에e책chaeg이i있iss어eo요yo.몇myeot권gwon이i에e요yo?There are books on the desk. How many?
Michael책chaek세se개gae있iss어eo요yo.There are three books. (slip: 개 is for general objects; books use 권)
Jieun책chaeg은eun"권gwon"으eu로ro세se요yo—책chaek세se권gwon이i에e요yo.개gae는neun물mul건geon이i에e요yo.Books are counted with "권" — 책 세 권. 개 is for objects.
Michael아a,책chaek세se권gwon하ha고go가ga방bang두du개gae있iss어eo요yo!Ah, three books and two bags!

Vocabulary

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개gae: count.counter: things (general)
마ma리ri: count.counter: animals
권gwon: count.counter: books
장jang: count.counter: flat sheets
사sa과gwa: nounapple
책chaek: nounbook
공gong책chaek: nounnotebook
가ga방bang: nounbag
의ui자ja: nounchair
책chaek상sang: noundesk
물mul건geon: nounthing, object

Grammar

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Native number + counter (개 / 마리 / 권 / 장)

Explanation

When counting things, the order is fixed: noun + number + counter. E.g. "사과 두 개" (apple + two + counter). Choose the counter by kind — 개 (ordinary objects), 마리 (animals), 권 (books/notebooks), 장 (flat things like paper). The shortened forms from ch11 apply: 하나→한, 둘→두, 셋→세, 넷→네. Unlike English, the noun does not become plural — it's "사과 세 개", not "사과들 세 개".

Examples

사과 두 개 있어요.There are two apples.
고양이 한 마리 있어요.There's one cat. (animals → 마리)
책 세 권 있어요.There are three books. (books → 권)
공책 네 권하고 가방 한 개 있어요.There are four notebooks and one bag.

Hangul

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한글 복습: 수 + 셈 단위 읽기— Hangul Review: Reading Number + Counter

Read the number + counter together:

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