Hey guys! Back with another post on Korean counters. If you missed the first part, you can check out the first list here.
Let’s break down each one along with some example sentences for each.
a. 대 (dae) = This is used for cars and machines. For example:
우리는 차를 새로 한 대 살까 고려 중이다. (u-ri-neun cha-reul ssae-ro han dae sal-kka go-ryeo jung-i-da) = We’re considering buying a new car.
b. 장 (jang) = This is used for counting sheets of paper, or paper-like materials.
두 장 정도 읽었어. (du jang jeong-do il-geo-sseo) = I read a couple of pages.
c. 일 (il) = You may be already familiar with this one. It’s used for counting days of the week.
삼일간 날씨는 좋았다. (sa-mil-gan nal-ssi-neun jo-at-tta) = For three days, the weather was fine.
d. 년 (nyeon) = This is used for years.
그녀는 일 년 동안 해외에서 근무했다. (geu-nyeo-neun il nyeon dong-an hae-oe-e-seo geun-mu-haet-tta) = She worked abroad for one year.
e. 달 (dal) = This is used for counting months. Not to be confused with the vocabulary word itself which also means moon.
두 달 전에. (du dal jjeo-ne) = Two months ago.
f. 채 (chae) = This is used for counting buildings like houses, apartments, etc.
그는 서울에 집을 두 채 가지고 있다. (geu-neun seo-u-re ji-beul ttu chae ga-ji-go it-tta) = He owns two houses in Seoul.
g. 벌 (beol) = This is used for counting items of clothing.
새 바지 한 벌 (sae ba-ji han beol) = A new pair of pants.
h. 시 (si) = You’ve always probably seen this one if you’re familiar with telling time in Korean. It’s for counting hours.
이제 막 한 시가 넘었어. (i-je mak han si-ga neo-meo-sseo) = It’s just turned 1 o’clock.
i. 분 (bun) = This is for counting minutes. If you saw the first part for Korean counters, you saw that this also can be a counter for people.
내 시계는 오분이나 늦다. (nae si-gye-neun o-bu-ni-na neut-tta) = My watch is five minutes slow.
j. 초 (cho) = This is for counting seconds.
한순간도 일분 일초도 너를 사랑하지 않은 적 없어. (han-sun-gan-do il-bun il-cho-do neo-reul ssa-rang-ha-ji a-neun jeok eop-sseo) = There isn’t one second I haven’t loved you.
And there you have it! Start looking for these in your daily reading or listening practice to get more familiar with them.