74 Unit 10: Counters, question word ⳝ, time expressions
Table 10.1 continued
counter kinds of things examples of counting
counted
⼧G bottles 䞲G⼧SG⚦⼧SG㎎G⼧SGUGUGUG 㡂▵G⼧SGUGUGUG㓆G
G G ⚦G⼧SGUGUGU
⽟㰖G paper bags 䞲G ⽟㰖SG⚦G⽟㰖SG㎎G⽟㰖SGUGUGUG㓺ⶊG⽟㰖SGUGUGU
㧻G pieces of paper 䞲G㧻SG⚦G㧻SG㎎G 㧻SGUGUGUG㍲⯎G㧻SGUGUGU
ῢG books 䞲G ῢSG⚦GῢSG㎎GῢSGUGUGUG㡊⍺GῢSGUGUGU
ῆ◆G places 䞲Gῆ◆SG⚦Gῆ◆SG㎎Gῆ◆SGUGUGUG㧒Gῆ◆SGUGUGU
䅺⩞G pairs of shoes 䞲G䅺⩞SG ⚦G䅺⩞SG㎎G 䅺⩞SGUGUGUG㡊G 䅺⩞SGUGUG U
⻢G clothes 䞲G⻢SG⚦G⻢SG㎎G ⻢SGUGUGUG㡊G⻢SGUGUGU
Ṗ㰖G kinds 䞲GṖ㰖SG⚦GṖ㰖SG㎎G Ṗ㰖SGUGUGUG㡊┺㎅GṖ㰖SGUGUGU
On the other hand, Table 10.2 shows the counters that are used only with
Sino-Korean numbers. Notice that when the counter is a loanword, such as
╂⧒ “dollars,” Ⱎ㧒 “miles,” and ⹎䎆 “meters,” Koreans in general prefer
to use Sino-Korean numbers, as in 㕃㡺G╂⧒ “fifteen dollars.”
Table 10.2 Some major Korean counters used with Sino-Korean numbers
counter kinds of things examples of counting
counted
㧒 days 㧒G㧒SG 㧊G㧒SG㌒G 㧒SGUGUGUG㌂㕃㡺G㧒SGUGUGU
㤪 month names 㧒G㤪SG㧊G㤪SG㌒G㤪SGUGUGUG 䕪G㤪SGUGUGU
Ṳ㤪 months (duration) 㧒GṲ㤪SG㧊GṲ㤪SG㌒GṲ㤪SGUGUGUG䂶GṲ㤪SGUGUGU
⎚ years 㧒G⎚SG 㧊G⎚SG㌒G⎚SGUGUGUGῂG⎚SGUGUGU
minutes 㧒GSG 㧊GSG㌒G SGUGUGUG㡺㕃㥷GSGUGUGU
㽞 seconds 㧒G㽞SG㧊G㽞SG ㌒G㽞SGUG UGUG㕃䂶G㽞SGUGUGU
䂋 floors (of a building) 㧒G䂋SG㧊G䂋SG㌒G 䂋SGUGUGUG㌒㕃㌂G䂋SGUGUGU
╂⧒ dollars 㧒G╂⧒SG 㧊G╂⧒SG㌒G ╂⧒SGUGUGUG
G G ⺇㡺㕃䕪G╂⧒SGUGUGU
䕢㤊✲ pounds (sterling) 㧒G䕢㤊✲SG㧊G䕢㤊✲SG㌒G䕢㤊✲SG
G G UGUGUG㕃G䕢㤊✲SGUGUGU
Ⱎ㧒 miles 㧒GⰞ㧒SG㧊GⰞ㧒SG㌒GⰞ㧒SGUGUGUG 䂶㕃ῂG
G G Ⱎ㧒SGUGUGU
As seen above, the choice of a certain counter depends on the kinds of
objects. However, one must know what counter is used with either a native
Korean number or a Sino-Korean number. For instance, when counting
minutes, you have to use Gafter a Sino-Korean number, as in 㡺G “five
minutes.”
A few counters, such as 㭒㧒 or 㭒Ṛ “week,” can be used with both
Sino-Korean numbers as well as native Korean numbers. For instance,
one week can be either 䞲G㭒Ṛ or 㧒G㭒Ṛ and five weeks can be either
┺㎅G 㭒Ṛ or 㡺G 㭒Ṛ. However, the use of Sino-Korean numbers with
this counter is more common.
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