Korean Counter Finder: Which Counter for Which Noun
This Korean counter finder tells you which counter a noun takes. Type it in English (cat), Hangul (고양이) or romanization (goyangi). You get the counter, its forms from 1 to 10 and with 몇 (myeot, how many), and an example phrase such as 고양이 두 마리 (goyangi du mari, two cats). When more than one counter fits, you see them all, the most common first, with the difference in plain words. The finder knows 1,102 nouns and is free with no signup, and because the search runs in your browser, nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How the Korean counter finder works
Type a noun into the box in English, Hangul or romanization, and cat, 고양이 and goyangi all find the same word. A Hangul noun with a particle on the end is found without it, so 사과를 (sagwareul) brings up 사과 (sagwa, apple).
Each result shows the counter and what it counts, then its forms from 1 to 10, each with romanization. For 고양이 that's 마리: 한 마리 (han mari), 두 마리 (du mari), 세 마리 (se mari) and on to 열 마리 (yeol mari), while 몇 마리 (myeot mari) asks how many. An example phrase puts it together, 고양이 두 마리 (goyangi du mari, two cats), and the Copy button copies the counters and their forms.
Nouns that take more than one counter
Of the counted nouns in the list, 466 take more than one counter. The finder shows all of them, the most common first, with the difference in plain words. 학생 (haksaeng, student) takes 명 (myeong) or 사람 (saram), and 선생님 (seonsaengnim, teacher) takes the polite 분 (bun) first, then 명. 연필 (yeonpil, pencil) takes 자루 (jaru), the counter made for it, and 개 (gae), which is common in everyday speech. 물 (mul, water) takes 잔 (jan) for a glass of it, 병 (byeong) for a bottle and 컵 (keop) for a cupful.
Words with two meanings
Some Korean words have two meanings, each with its own counter, and the finder shows both. 차 (cha) is a car, counted with 대 (dae), or tea, counted with 잔 (jan). 배 (bae) is a ship, counted with 척 (cheok), or a pear, counted with 개. 개 itself is the general counter and also the word for dog, so two dogs are 개 두 마리 (gae du mari).
Counters on their own, and nouns it doesn't know
The finder also takes a counter on its own, such as 시간 (sigan, hours), 분 (bun, minutes) or 유월 (yuwol, June), and shows that counter's card. English words work too, so minute, floor and page bring up the cards for 분, 층 and 쪽. If a noun isn't in the list, the finder says so and gives 개 (gae), the general counter for objects, with its forms.
Where the nouns come from
The finder knows 1,102 nouns with their counters. Of those, 842 come from the beginner and intermediate stages of the National Institute of Korean Language's vocabulary list for learners (한국어 학습용 어휘 목록), and the rest are common nouns from its advanced stage. It also knows 689 nouns from the list that aren't usually counted, such as 사랑 (sarang, love) and 날씨 (nalssi, weather), and tells you so when you type one.
From the finder to practice
Once you know the counter, the Korean counters list shows it in its group with the numbers it takes, and prints all 56 counters as a PDF. The Korean counters quiz gives you a noun and four counters to pick from, or a number and counter to write in Hangul, and the Korean counters worksheets print three exercises with an answer key. If you learn Japanese too, the Japanese counter finder looks up a noun in English, kana, kanji or romaji and tells you which counter it uses, with the readings.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Korean counter finder free?
Yes, it's free with no account to make, and the search runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere.
What's the Korean counter for animals?
Animals take 마리 (mari), which counts animals, birds, fish and insects, as in 고양이 두 마리 (goyangi du mari, two cats) and 개 세 마리 (gae se mari, three dogs). Trees take 그루 (geuru) and flowers take 송이 (songi).
What's the Korean counter for people?
명 (myeong) is the everyday one, as in 학생 세 명 (haksaeng se myeong, three students). 사람 (saram) is a little more casual and goes with small numbers, and 분 (bun) is for people you show respect to, as in 선생님 두 분 (seonsaengnim du bun, two teachers).
Can I type in English or romanization?
You can type English, Hangul or romanization, and cat, 고양이 and goyangi give the same result. A Hangul noun with a particle, such as 사과를, is found as 사과 (sagwa, apple).
Why does a noun show more than one counter?
In the list, 466 of the counted nouns take more than one. The finder shows them all, the most common first, and says how they differ: 연필 (yeonpil, pencil) takes 자루, the counter made for it, and 개, which is common in everyday speech.
Why does 차 show two counters?
차 (cha) has two meanings, a car, counted with 대, and tea, counted with 잔, so the finder shows both. It does the same for 배 (bae), a ship with 척 or a pear with 개.
What if my noun isn't in the list?
The finder says so and gives 개 (gae), the general counter for objects, with its forms. For an object, 개 is the safe choice when you don't know a more specific counter.
Which nouns does the finder know?
It knows 1,102 nouns with their counters, 842 of them from the beginner and intermediate stages of the National Institute of Korean Language's vocabulary list for learners, plus common nouns from its advanced stage. It also knows 689 nouns that aren't usually counted, such as 사랑 (sarang, love), and says so.
Licenses and credits
The nouns are from the 한국어 학습용 어휘 목록 of the National Institute of Korean Language (KOGL Type 1), with each noun's counters and English written for NexaProva. The romanization of the nouns is by koroman (MIT), in Revised Romanization; the number forms are built and romanized by rule.