by Devon McNeely
How to count in Korean for Taekwondo, Hapkido, Tang soo do, and other Korean Martial Arts.
The Korean language has two separate number systems. One is used for counting up to one hundred and is known as Native Korean or the Native Korean system. These are the number a student would need to know for a martial arts class and are the numbers below. The second system is called sino-Korean and is based on Chinese rather than the native Korean language. This Sino-Korean system is used for dates, money, time, and addresses, as well as for numbers above 100. None of these uses will be needed for a student of Hapkido or Taekwondo and so are not discussed here. If however, you are interested in the Korean language you can visit a site such as 90 Day Korean to learn more.
The most important thing to learn are the numbers 1 -10.
One (1) – Hana (Ha-Na)
Two (2) – Dul (Dhool)
Three (3) – Set (Set)
Four (4) – Net (Net)
Five (5) – Daseot (Da-Sut)
Six (6) – Yeoseot (Yuh-Sut)
Seven (7) – Ilgop (Il-Gope)
Eight (8) – Yeodeol (Yo-Dull)
Nine (9) – Ahop (Ah-Hope)
Ten (10) – Yeol (Yull)
For numbers above 10, they are put together the same way English does with numbers above 20. First, you say the multiple of 10 and then the digit. For 11 through 19, add the Korean word for 10 in front of the last number. Eleven, For example, is Yeol Hana (Yull Ha-na) – the Korean words for 10 and 1.
Eleven (11) – Yeol Hana (Yull Ha-na)
Twelve (12) – Yeol Dul (Yull Dhool)
Thirteen (13) – Yeol Set (Yull Set)
Fourteen (14) – Yeol Net (Yull Net)
Fifteen (15) – Yeol Dasot (Yull Da-Sut)
Sixteen (16) – Yeol Yasot (Yull Yuh-Sut)
Seventeen (17) – Yeol Ilgup (Yull Il-Gope)
Eighteen (18) – Yeol Yodol (Yull Yo-Dull)
Nineteen (19) – Yeol Ahop (Yull Ah-Hope)
Twenty (20) – Seu-Mool (Sew-Mool)
21 would then be Seu-Mool Hana (Sew-Mool Ha-na). This continues in a similar fashion until you get to 100 at which time you would need to switch to the Sino-Korean system. I highly doubt you will be required to count that high in any martial arts class but if you do need to go beyond 20 here are the multiples of ten in the Native Korean System.