Korean Counters: 개, 명, 마리 and Friends
10-Second Answer
Korean doesn't say "two coffees" — it says "coffee two CUPS" (커피 두 잔). Between a number and the thing counted, Korean inserts a counter word matched to the category: 개 for objects, 명 for people, 마리 for animals, 잔 for drinks. The pattern is always NOUN + NUMBER + COUNTER, using native Korean numbers in their shortened forms (한/두/세/네).
The Core Counter Set
| Counter | Counts | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 개 (gae) | Things, objects (the general default) | 사과 두 개 — two apples |
| 명 (myeong) | People | 친구 세 명 — three friends |
| 분 (bun) | People (honorific) | 손님 두 분 — two guests (respectful) |
| 마리 (mari) | Animals | 고양이 한 마리 — one cat |
| 잔 (jan) | Cups, glasses of drinks | 커피 두 잔 — two coffees |
| 병 (byeong) | Bottles | 물 한 병 — one bottle of water |
| 권 (gwon) | Books | 책 네 권 — four books |
| 대 (dae) | Machines, vehicles | 차 한 대 — one car |
| 번 (beon) | Times, occurrences | 한 번 더 — one more time |
| 살 (sal) | Years of age | 스무 살 — twenty years old |
Don't panic at the list — 개 is the safety net. If you don't know the right counter for an object, 개 will be understood (though 명/마리 for people/animals are worth learning early, since 개 there sounds odd).
The Word Order
The pattern is NOUN + NUMBER + COUNTER — the reverse of English's "two cups of coffee." The numbers are native Korean, and 하나/둘/셋/넷 shorten to 한/두/세/네 before a counter, exactly as covered on the numbers drill page.
맥주 두 병 주세요.
maekju du byeong juseyo.
Two bottles of beer, please.
Noun (맥주) + number (두) + counter (병) + 주세요.
몇 명이에요?
myeot myeong-ieyo?
How many people?
몇 + counter asks "how many" — the standard restaurant greeting question.
Sino-Korean Counters
A smaller group of counters uses Sino-Korean numbers instead: 인분 (servings — 삼겹살 이 인분), 원 (won, money), 분 (minutes), 층 (floors — 삼 층). As a rough rule, measurements, money, and anything felt as a "unit on a scale" lean Sino-Korean.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Counting without any counter
커피 둘 주세요 is understood but unnatural — 커피 두 잔 주세요 is the real pattern.
Mistake #2 — Using full 하나/둘/셋/넷 before counters
They must shorten: 한 개, 두 명, 세 마리, 네 권 — never 하나 개.
Mini Quiz
1. What's the correct word order for "two coffees, please"?
2. Which counter counts animals?
3. If you don't know the right counter for an object, which is the safest fallback?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Counters handle "how many" — next, the vocabulary for "when": the seven days and the planets hiding inside them.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-11 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.