백만
baengman[pɛŋma̠n]
The English phrase "one million" is translated into Korean as 백만 (baengman).
백만 refers to the number equal to one thousand thousands.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 백, meaning hundred and 만, meaning ten thousand, literally meaning 'one hundred ten-thousands'.
How do you pronounce it?
baengman
Did you know?
- The character 萬 used in 백만 is historically associated with an 'innumerable' or 'infinite' amount in East Asian literature. While it specifically means ten thousand in modern math, it carries a poetic weight of vastness.
- When writing 백만 in a financial context, such as on a check, Koreans often use the Chinese character 萬 to avoid ambiguity and prevent fraud.
- Korean has two different number systems, but 백만 always uses the Sino-Korean system. The native Korean system is rarely used for numbers this large because it becomes too cumbersome.
Examples in context
- 그 차는 백만 원이에요.geu cha-neun baek-man won-i-e-yo.That car is one million won.
- 인구는 백만 명입니다.in-gu-neun baek-man myeong-im-ni-da.The population is one million.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Seoyeon are discussing the price of a luxury watch.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이 시계는 얼마예요?i si-gye-neun eol-ma-ye-yo?How much is this watch?
- 서연 Seo-yeon백만 원이에요.baek-man won-i-e-yo.It is one million won.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연 씨, 너무 비싸요.Seo-yeon ssi, neo-mu bi-ssa-yo.Seoyeon, it is too expensive.
- 서연 Seo-yeon맞아요, 정말 비싸네요.ma-ja-yo, jeong-mal bi-ssa-ne-yo.That's true, it really is expensive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 백만, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
