스물
seumul[sʰɯmuɭ]
The Korean word for twenty is 스물 (seumul) in the native Korean number system. The Sino-Korean number is 이십 (isip). If unsure, use 스물.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 스물 | seumul | [sʰɯmuɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 이십 | isip | [ˈi(ː)ɕʰip̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
스물 is used for counting items or people and when the number stands as a noun. 이십 is used for math, money, phone numbers and counting in large steps.
Which one should you use?
Korean has two sets of numbers. 스물 belongs to the native Korean set, and 이십 belongs to the Sino-Korean set, which comes from Chinese.
How does it change in a sentence?
스물 drops its final consonant and becomes 스무 when it comes before a counter or modifies a noun, as when counting twenty people.
How do you pronounce it?
스물 is romanized as seumul.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 스물 directly before a counter. Use 스무 in that position.
Did you know?
- When counting ages, Koreans traditionally used a system where a person is one year old at birth, meaning a person might say they are 스물 before they have actually lived twenty full years.
- In Korean culture, turning twenty is a major milestone because it marks the official transition to adulthood and the 'coming of age' ceremony.
- The word 스물 was recorded in the 'Jīlín lèishì' as early as 1103, over five hundred years before the creation of the modern Korean alphabet.
Examples in context
- 오 곱하기 오는 이십오야.Five times five is twenty-five.이십오 is the Sino-Korean way to say twenty-five, used here in a math sentence.Tatoeba #4749585 by kimhkng, translation #2053933 by JarHead54321
- 내일 스무 번째 생일이야!It's my twentieth birthday tomorrow!
- 매일 스무 시간 동안 일해요.I work for twenty hours every day.
- 스물 살이에요.seumul sarieyo.I am twenty years old.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Subin are talking about their age.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨는 몇 살이에요?Subin ssineun myeot salieyo?How old are you, Subin?
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 스물 살이에요.Jeoneun seumul sarieyo.I am twenty years old.
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말요? 저도 스물이에요.Jeongmallyo? Jeodo seumulieyo.Really? I am twenty too.
- 수빈 Su-bin와, 우리 동갑이네요!Wa, uri donggabinyeo!Wow, we are the same age!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “twenty” translations and entries 스물, 이십, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 스물, 이십, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
