Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 열 | yeol | [jʌ̹ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 십 | sip | [ɕʰip̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 텐 | ten | [tʰe̞n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Korean uses two different number systems for ten. The native Korean form 열 is used when counting people or items, or when expressing age. The Sino-Korean form 십 is used for mathematical values, reading dates or when counting in a sequence. For example, you can use 열 권 or 십 권 to express ten books.
Which one should you use?
열 is the native Korean form, whereas 십 is the Sino-Korean form. You should use 열 when counting people or items, or when stating an age. In contrast, use 십 when counting numbers in a sequence, reading dates or expressing mathematical values.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use 열 with native Korean counters such as 명 (people) or 살 (years old). Use 십 with Sino-Korean counters or when forming large numbers like 십만 (one hundred thousand).
How do you pronounce it?
yeol
Did you know?
- While 십 is the standard for math, the English loanword 텐 is often used in modern Korean, particularly in contexts like 'ten-point scale' or in music and pop culture.
- Because Korean has multiple words that sound like 열, the word for 'ten' can be confused with Sino-Korean words meaning 'heat' or 'row'.
- The native Korean word 열 was written as 엻 in the 15th century. This earlier form appeared in the 'Yongbi eocheon'ga', a famous song praising the Joseon dynasty.
Examples in context
- 오늘부로 우리는 열살이 되네.Today, we turn ten years old.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is turning ten years old using 열.Tatoeba #8356241 by Eunhee, translation #464274 by lukaszpp
- 그녀에게는 자식이 열 명 있다.She has ten children.This sentence is useful for expressing the number of people using 열.Tatoeba #11106403 by intertime, translation #310059 by CK
- 중국어로 십까지 셀 수 있습니까?Can you count to ten in Chinese?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can count to ten using 십.Tatoeba #8026867 by yesjustryan, translation #277506 by CN
- 삼 십Thirty
- 사십40
- 열Ten
- 쉰50
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minji and Dohyun are at a cafe ordering snacks.
- 민지 Min-ji도현 씨, 쿠키 열 개 살까요?Do-hyeon ssi, ku-ki yeol gae sal-kka-yo?Dohyun, shall we buy ten cookies?
- 도현 Do-hyeon열 개는 너무 많아요.yeol gae-neun neo-mu man-a-yo.Ten is too many.
- 민지 Min-ji그럼 다섯 개만 살까요?geu-reom da-seot gae-man sal-kka-yo?Then shall we buy only five?
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 그게 좋겠어요.ne, geu-ge jo-ket-sseo-yo.Yes, that would be good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ten” translations and entries 열, 십, 텐, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 십, 열, 텐, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
