Korean For All 1 Chapter 6: 이/가 언제예요? 얼마예요? Sino-Korean Numbers
How to Ask for Someone’s Phone Number in Korean & More!
안녕하세요, 여러분! (Hello, everyone!)
Are you ready to take your Korean to the next level?
Today, we’ll learn how to ask for someone’s phone number (전화번호), how to talk about important dates like birthdays and anniversaries, and how to ask for prices using numbers.
Whether you’re planning to make new friends in Korea or just want to sound more natural, this lesson will be super useful! Let’s go!
1. Asking for a Phone Number in Korean
Imagine you meet someone interesting, and you want to exchange contact information. In English, we say:
➡️ “What’s your phone number?”
In Korean, you ask:
➡️ 전화번호가 뭐예요? (jeonhwa beonhoga mwoyeyo?)
💡 Breakdown:
- 전화번호 (jeonhwa beonho) = Phone number
- 가 (ga) = Subject marker
- 뭐예요? (mwoyeyo?) = What is it?
Example Conversation:
A: 크리스티나 씨, 휴대폰 있어요?
(Kristina, do you have a cellphone?)
B: 네, 있어요.
(Yes, I have one.)
A: 전화번호가 뭐예요?
(What’s your phone number?)
B: 공일공에 일이구팔에 사오육칠이에요.
(It’s 010-1298-4567.)
💡 TIP: In Korea, people often use "공 (gong)" for zero when saying phone numbers.
2. Learning Sino-Korean Numbers (일, 이, 삼…)
Korean has two number systems:
Native Korean Numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…): Used for counting things.
Sino-Korean Numbers (일, 이, 삼…): Used for dates, money, phone numbers, addresses, and more.
| Number | Sino-Korean |
|---|---|
| 1 | 일 (il) |
| 2 | 이 (i) |
| 3 | 삼 (sam) |
| 4 | 사 (sa) |
| 5 | 오 (o) |
| 6 | 육 (yuk) |
| 7 | 칠 (chil) |
| 8 | 팔 (pal) |
| 9 | 구 (gu) |
| 10 | 십 (sip) |
Important Notes:
- 100 is 백 (baek), 1,000 is 천 (cheon), 10,000 is 만 (man).
- Zero can be 공 (gong) or 영 (yeong).
- Months are said with Sino-Korean numbers, but June (6월) is 유월, and October (10월) is 시월 for smoother pronunciation.
3. Talking About Important Dates
To ask when something happens, use:
➡️ 언제예요? (eonje-yeyo?) = “When is it?”
Examples:
생일이 언제예요? (Saengiri eonje-yeyo?) – When is your birthday?
제 생일은 5월 5일이에요. (My birthday is May 5th.)
시험이 언제예요? (Siheomi eonje-yeyo?) – When is the exam?
시험은 3월 10일이에요. (The exam is on March 10th.)
결혼기념일이 언제예요? (Gyeolhonginyeomiri eonje-yeyo?) – When is the wedding anniversary?
10월 1일이에요. (It’s October 1st.)
Fun Fact: Korean couples celebrate 100-day anniversaries (백일) and 1-year anniversaries (1주년) religiously!
They also celebrate White Day (March 14th) and Pepero Day (November 11th).
4. Asking for Prices
When shopping, you need to know how to ask:
얼마예요? (eolma-yeyo?) = “How much is it?”
Example Conversations:
이 옷 얼마예요? (I ot eolma-yeyo?) – How much are these clothes?
50,000원입니다. (50,000 won.)
휴대폰이 얼마예요? (Hyudaeponi eolma-yeyo?) – How much is the cellphone?
삼십만원이에요. (It’s 300,000 won.)
청바지가 얼마예요? (Cheongbajiga eolma-yeyo?) – How much are the jeans?
이만오천원이에요. (They are 25,000 won.)
💡TIP: Korean currency is called 원 (won), and large numbers are read differently than in English.
Instead of saying "twenty-five thousand," Koreans say 이만 오천 원 (iman ocheon won) (literally "two ten-thousands five thousand won").
5. Special Korean Holidays
Here are some must-know holidays in Korea:
🇰🇷 설날 (Seollal) – Lunar New Year’s Day
🍂 추석 (Chuseok) – Korean Thanksgiving Day (based on the Lunar Calendar)
🌸 어린이날 (Eorininal) – Children’s Day (May 5th)
💌 밸런타인데이 (Ballantain Dei) – Valentine’s Day (Feb 14th)
💑 결혼기념일 (Gyeolhon Ginyeomil) – Wedding Anniversary
🎉 광복절 (Gwangbokjeol) – Korean Independence Day (August 15th)
🔡 한글날 (Hangeulnal) – Hangul Day (October 9th)
Koreans LOVE celebrating anniversaries, especially couples!
Even "22-day anniversaries" (투투데이) used to be a trend.
Practice Time!
Try answering these questions in Korean:
1️⃣ 생일이 언제예요? (When is your birthday?)
2️⃣ 청바지가 얼마예요? (How much are the jeans?)
3️⃣ 전화번호가 뭐예요? (What’s your phone number?)
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Posted in
korean grammar, level 1
