Korean grammar: Counter (ex: 개, 명, 병, 권...etc)

 

In Korean, counters are used to measure things in a variety of ways, and the appropriate counter depends on the type of object you're counting (e.g., people, books, items, etc.). For a blog post or casual writing, you'll often encounter counters like these:

1. 사람 (saram) – People

• Counter: 명 (myeong) or 사람 (saram)
• Example: 두 명 (two people), 세 사람 (three people)

2. 개 (gae) – Things, objects, or general items

• Counter: 개 (gae)
• Example: 세 개 (three items), 다섯 개 (five things)

3. 권 (gwon) – Books or volumes

• Counter: 권 (gwon)
• Example: 책 두 권 (two books)

4. 장 (jang) – Flat objects like paper, tickets, or plates

• Counter: 장 (jang)
• Example: 세 장 (three sheets of paper)

5. 대 (dae) – Machines, cars, and large equipment

• Counter: 대 (dae)
• Example: 자동차 한 대 (one car), 컴퓨터 두 대 (two computers)

6. 번 (beon) – Occurrences or actions

• Counter: 번 (beon)
• Example: 한 번 (one time), 세 번 (three times)

7. 마리 (mari) – Animals

• Counter: 마리 (mari)
• Example: 개 두 마리 (two dogs), 고양이 세 마리 (three cats)

8. 그루 (geuru) – Trees or plants

• Counter: 그루 (geuru)
• Example: 나무 세 그루 (three trees)

9. 조각 (jogak) – Pieces of things, such as cake, pizza, or other food

• Counter: 조각 (jogak)
• Example: 케이크 한 조각 (one slice of cake)

10. 컵 (keop) – Cups or glasses

• Counter: 컵 (keop)
• Example: 커피 두 컵 (two cups of coffee)