What does 고유어 수사 mean?
고유어 수사 (go-yu-eo su-sa) means: Native Korean numerals (original Korean).
The hana, dul, set... series. The form changes before a counter (hana->han, dul->du). They only exist up to 99.
🔊 From the story above
고유어 수사 — Hanja-eo Susa vs Goyueo Susa
한자어 수사 — hanja-eo su-sa, "Sino-Korean numerals derived from Chinese"
일월 이일 — irwol i-il, "January 2nd"
삼십 분 — samsip bun, "30 minutes"
오천 원 — ocheon won, "5,000 won"
오육칠팔 — gong-il-gong, il-i-sam-sa, o-yuk-chil-pal
이학년 — i-hangnyeon, "2nd grade"
오층 — sa-cheung, o-cheung, "4th floor, 5th floor"
Other sides of 고유어 수사
◆ rhythmic_cadence — Textbooks teach you that 하나, 둘, 셋 are just for counting objects, but natives use them as a physical metronome. When you're lifting heavy weights, running the final stretch, or pushing a stalled car, shifting to native numerals creates a physical cadence that locks bodies together. If you use Sino-Korean numbers here, it sounds like an inventory check; using native numbers turns it into a heartbeat.
◆ casual_ordering — Textbooks teach you hana, dul, set, but when you are actually sitting in a noisy pocha or bustling gogijip, these numbers are the key to sounding human. If you use Sino-Korean numbers (il, i, sam) for ordering three bottles of beer or two portions of samgyeopsal, you instantly sound like a walking phrasebook. Native numerals carry a tactile, rhythmic warmth that service staff expect—it’s how you anchor yourself in the casual social flow of Korean daily life.
◆ age_milestones — When Koreans talk about turning 30 (*서른*), 40 (*마흔*), or 50 (*쉰*), they almost never use Sino-Korean numbers. These native terms carry societal expectations, existential reflections, and cultural gravity that clinical numbers like 삼십 (30) simply strip away. Using a native milestone number instantly shifts the conversation from a mere calendar date to a moment of shared human vulnerability.
◆ casual_ordering — Textbooks teach you hana, dul, set, but when you are actually sitting in a noisy pocha or bustling gogijip, these numbers are the key to sounding human. If you use Sino-Korean numbers (il, i, sam) for ordering three bottles of beer or two portions of samgyeopsal, you instantly sound like a walking phrasebook. Native numerals carry a tactile, rhythmic warmth that service staff expect—it’s how you anchor yourself in the casual social flow of Korean daily life.
◆ age_milestones — When Koreans talk about turning 30 (*서른*), 40 (*마흔*), or 50 (*쉰*), they almost never use Sino-Korean numbers. These native terms carry societal expectations, existential reflections, and cultural gravity that clinical numbers like 삼십 (30) simply strip away. Using a native milestone number instantly shifts the conversation from a mere calendar date to a moment of shared human vulnerability.
How it's actually used
- 나이를 말할 때는 고유어 수사를 써야 해요.
Naireul malhal ttaeneun goyueo susareul sseoya haeyo.
You have to use native Korean numerals when telling your age.
💡 Standard usage context for hana, dul, set. - 사과 세 개 주세요.
Sagwa se gae juseyo.
Give me three apples, please.
💡 Note how 'set' shortens to 'se' before a counter. - 나이를 셀 때는 고유어 수사를 써야 해서 '일, 이'가 아니라 '하나, 둘'로 말해야 해요.
naireul sel ttae-neun goyu-eo susareul sseoya haeseo 'il, i'ga anira 'hana, dul'ro malhaeya haeyo.
When counting age, you have to use native Korean numerals, so you must say 'hana, dul' instead of 'il, i'.
💡 Highlights the grammatical rule of native Korean numbers.
Related words in Foundation
단위 명사 dan-wi myeong-sa공 (공) gong한글 Hangeul세종대왕 Sejong Daewang (King Sejong the Great)자음 ja-eum