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KOREAN COUNTERS FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS
In Korean, certain measure words (단위 명사) are used specifically for specialized items like vehicles, clothing, and houses.
These measure words help specify the type of item being counted and are always used with numbers.
GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
In Korean, the basic structure for using measure words is:
PATTERN
Object + Number + Measure Word
In a full sentence, the structure looks as follow:
자동차 한 대를 샀어요.
I bought one car대 FOR VEHICLES & MACHINERY
The measure word 대 (dae) is used to count vehicles such as cars, buses, and motorcycles, as well as machinery like computers or cameras.
| Informal | 자동차 두 대가 있어. | I have two cars. |
| 컴퓨터 한 대를 샀어. | I bought one computer. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 회사에서 새 컴퓨터 세 대를 샀어요. 작업 속도가 빨라질 거예요. | The company bought three new computers. The work speed will increase. |
| 트럭 두 대가 도착했어요. 이삿짐을 옮기려고요. | Two trucks arrived. They’re here to move the furniture. | |
| 공장에는 기계 다섯 대가 있습니다. 전부 잘 작동하고 있어요. | There are five machines in the factory. All of them are working well. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 학교 앞에 버스 네 대가 대기하고 있습니다. 학생들을 태울 예정입니다. | Four buses are waiting in front of the school. They will pick up the students. |
벌 FOR CLOTHES
벌 (beol) is the measure word used to count clothes. It applies to all types of clothing, such as shirts, pants, and suits.
| Informal | 옷 세 벌을 샀어. | I bought three sets of clothes. |
| 새 셔츠 한 벌을 입었어. | I wore a new shirt. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 친구가 예쁜 드레스 두 벌을 선물했어요. 정말 마음에 들어요. | My friend gave me two beautiful dresses as a gift. I really like them. |
| 오늘 새 옷 한 벌을 입었어요. 기분이 정말 좋았어요. | I wore a new set of clothes today. It made me feel really good. | |
| 이번 주말에 양복 세 벌을 세탁소에 맡길 거예요. | I will take three suits to the dry cleaners this weekend. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 오늘 세미나에서 정장 한 벌을 입었습니다. 중요한 발표가 있었습니다. | I wore a suit at today’s seminar. There was an important presentation. |
줄 FOR LINES & ROWS
줄 (jul) is used to count lines or rows of things, such as people standing in line, strings of items, or rows of seats.
| Informal | 우리는 세 줄로 서 있었어. | We were standing in three lines. |
| 소설의 마지막 한 줄을 지웠어. | I erased the last line of the novel. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 의자 다섯 줄을 준비했어요. 사람들이 앉을 자리를 만들어야 했어요. | I prepared five rows of chairs. We needed to make seats for people. |
| 손님들이 여섯 줄로 줄을 섰어요. 입장을 기다리고 있어요. | The guests lined up in six rows. They are waiting to enter. | |
| 테사는 책을 한 줄도 안 읽었어요. | Tessa didn’t read a single line of the book. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 학생들이 운동장에서 여덟 줄로 서 있었습니다. 선생님이 출석을 부르고 있었습니다. | The students were standing in eight rows on the playground. The teacher was calling the roll. |
채 FOR HOUSES & BUILDINGS
채 (chae) is used to count houses or buildings. It’s often used when referring to the number of residential or standalone structures.
| Informal | 집 두 채가 비어 있어. | Two houses are vacant. |
| 저기에 새 집 한 채가 지어졌어. | One new house was built over there. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 이 동네에 집 세 채가 새로 생겼어요. 정말 예뻐요. | Three new houses were built in this neighborhood. They look really nice. |
| 아파트 네 채가 이번 주에 입주를 시작했어요. | Four apartment buildings started moving in this week. | |
| 시내에 있는 건물 다섯 채를 방문했어요. 각 건물마다 다른 매력을 가지고 있어요. | I visited five buildings downtown. Each building has a unique charm. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 고향에 있는 집 한 채를 샀습니다. | I bought a house in my hometown. |
켤레 FOR PAIRS OF SHOES, SOCKS ETC
켤레 (kyeolle) is used to count pairs of items like shoes, socks, and gloves.
| Informal | 신발 세 켤레를 샀어. | I bought three pairs of shoes. |
| 양말 두 켤레를 빨았어. | I washed two pairs of socks. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 오늘 새 양말 한 켤레를 신었어요. 아주 편했어요. | I wore a new pair of socks today. They were very comfortable. |
| 장갑 네 켤레를 선물 받았어요. 날씨가 추워지면 쓸 거예요. | I received four pairs of gloves as a gift. I’ll use them when it gets colder. | |
| 운동화를 다섯 켤레 샀어요. 각각 다른 색이에요. | I bought five pairs of sneakers. Each one is a different color. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 어머니께서 가죽 신발 한 켤레를 주셨습니다. 어머니의 따뜻한 마음이 느껴졌습니다. | My mother gave me a pair of leather shoes. I felt her warm heart. |
포기 FOR PLANTS
포기 (pogi) is a measure word specifically used for plants, especially when counting cabbages or lettuce. It’s often used when referring to ingredients for making kimchi.
| Informal | 배추 세 포기로 김치를 만들었어. | I made kimchi with three heads of cabbage. |
| 상추 두 포기를 심었어. | I planted two heads of lettuce. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 어머니가 배추 네 포기를 사 오셨어요. 김치를 담글 거예요. | My mother bought four heads of cabbage. She’s going to make kimchi. |
| 정원에 상추 다섯 포기를 심었어요. 잘 자라길 바라고 있어요. | I planted five heads of lettuce in the garden. I hope they grow well. | |
| 시장에서 양배추 여섯 포기를 샀어요. 오늘 요리에서 사용할 거예요. | I bought six heads of cabbage at the market. I’ll use them in today’s dish. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 농장에서 배추 열 포기를 수확했습니다. 모두 신선합니다. | I harvested ten heads of cabbage at the farm. They’re all fresh. |
점 FOR PIECES OF ARTWORK
점 (jeom) is used to count individual pieces of artwork, evidence, or similar items that can be singularly displayed or evaluated.
| Informal | 그림 한 점을 샀어. | I bought one painting. |
| 박물관에 그림 두 점이 전시되어 있어. | Two paintings are on display at the museum. | |
| Formal (어요/예요) | 경찰이 증거 세 점을 발견했어요. 수사에 중요한 단서가 될 거예요. | The police found three pieces of evidence. They will be crucial clues in the investigation. |
| 미술관에 작품 네 점이 걸려 있어요. 모두 유명한 화가의 작품이에요. | There are four pieces of artwork hanging in the gallery. They are all by famous artists. | |
| 경매에서 다섯 점의 그림이 팔렸어요. 모두 높은 가격을 받았어요. | Five paintings were sold at the auction. They all fetched high prices. | |
| Formal (습니다) | 박람회에 여섯 점의 예술 작품이 전시되었습니다. 모두 감동적이었습니다. | Six pieces of artwork were displayed at the exhibition. They were all impressive. |
✅ Learn more Korean measure words in the following lessons:
- Korean counters for general objects
- Korean counters for living things
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FAQs
What is the Korean counter for cars?
The measure word 대 (dae) is used to count vehicles such as cars, buses, and motorcycles, as well as machinery like computers or cameras.
What is the Korean counter for clothes?
벌 (beol) is the measure word used to count clothes. It applies to all types of clothing, such as shirts, pants, and suits.
What is the Korean counter for houses?
채 (chae) is used to count houses or buildings. It’s often used when referring to the number of residential or standalone structures.
What is the Korean counter for artwork?
점 (jeom) is used to count individual pieces of artwork, evidence, or similar items that can be singularly displayed or evaluated.
Is Korean SOV or SVO?
Korean is a SOV language, meaning the basic language structure is:
Subject + Object + Verb
Japanese, Mongolian and Turkish are also SOV languages for example.
English is a SVO language: subject + verb + object
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Learn more about Korean sentence structure here.
Can I learn Korean with LTL Language School?
Yes!
Learn Korean with a professional live teacher online on Flexi Classes, or in person in Seoul (group and individual classes available).
Feel free to contact us if you need to speak directly with a LTL Student Advisor.