Foundations
Use the two number systems in context
Explanation
Native Korean numbers commonly appear with hours, ages and counters: 한 시, 두 명, 세 개 and 스무 살. Sino-Korean numbers commonly appear with minutes, dates, prices and many other numerical expressions: 삼십 분, 삼월, 오천 원. Read the unit before deciding which number system is needed.
For detail questions, convert the whole phrase into a fact. 오후 세 시 is three in the afternoon, not morning; 두 시간 is a duration, whereas 두 시 is a clock time. A correct answer must preserve both the quantity and its unit.
Examples and what to notice
오후 두 시 삼십 분
2:30 p.m.; native 두 for the hour, Sino-Korean 삼십 for minutes.
사과 세 개에 오천 원입니다.
Three apples cost 5,000 won; 개 counts items and 원 states the price.
두 시 / 두 시간
Two o’clock / two hours: a time point versus a duration.
Apply it to a question
- Read each example and identify the form that carries the information discussed above.
- Cover the explanation and explain the difference in meaning in your own words.
- Move to a listening or reading question type and check the complete sentence before choosing an answer.