Korean Counter Jang (장): Count Paper, Tickets and Photos

What you'll learn

• Count flat objects from one to twenty with 장 and the native number forms.
• Order the words correctly: object, number, 장.
• Ask for tickets with 표 두 장 주세요 and ask 몇 장 ("how many sheets?").
• Say the value of a banknote with 원짜리 and count it with 장.
• Separate 장 from 쪽 (page number), 권 (book), 벌 (clothes) and 개 (general objects).
• Prerequisites: native Korean numbers 1-10. Estimated time: 20 minutes.

Korean Counter Jang: the Essentials

The Korean counter jang (장) is a unit word for flat, thin things. A counter, also called a unit noun (단위 명사), is a short word that sits between a number and the thing counted. Korean uses one in nearly every counting sentence, much as English says "a sheet of paper" or "a slice of bread" instead of "a paper" or "a bread". 장 is the "sheet" word.

The pattern is object, number, counter. The object comes first, and the number and counter stay together as one unit:

• 종이 한 장 (one sheet of paper)
• 표 두 장 (two tickets)
• 사진 세 장 (three photographs)

장 always takes native Korean numbers, the series 하나, 둘, 셋 that you learned in native Korean numbers 1-10. Before a counter, the first four numbers and 스물 shorten: 하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, 넷 becomes 네, and 스물 becomes 스무.

Beginners often ask why 세 and 네 are used instead of 셋 and 넷. The short forms appear whenever a native number sits directly in front of a counter, and the full forms 셋 and 넷 are used only when counting alone ("one, two, three"). The bare number is not wrong in a vacuum, but 셋 장 is never correct.

Counting beyond twenty continues with 서른 장 (30), 마흔 장 (40) and 쉰 장 (50). From 100, Korean switches to Sino-Korean numbers: 백 장 (100 sheets) and 천 장 (1,000 sheets). That switch is a general habit of native numbers, which are rarely used above 99. The first step is knowing the forms; the second is placing them in real sentences.

How Do You Use 장 in a Sentence?

To use 장 in a sentence, place the object first, then the native number, then 장, and finish with a verb. The counter phrase does the work of English "sheets of" or "tickets", and Korean needs no plural ending on the noun.

Here are four short sentences you can say today:

• 종이 두 장 주세요. "Please give me two sheets of paper."
• 사진을 세 장 찍었어요. "I took three photographs."
• 엽서 네 장을 샀어요. "I bought four postcards."
• 한 장짜리 보고서예요. "It is a one-page report."

The question word is 몇 ("how many"): 몇 장 필요해요? It is pronounced [멷짱], because the final ㅊ of 몇 is said as [ㄷ] and the ㅈ of 장 then turns tense. Answers repeat the counter: 열 장 필요해요 ("I need ten").

The repeated form 한 장 한 장 means "sheet by sheet": 한 장 한 장 넘겼어요 is "I turned the pages one by one". Korean repeats a number-counter pair to say "one at a time", and the pattern works with other counters too. The suffix 짜리, as in 한 장짜리, means "worth" or "consisting of" and is useful again in the banknote section.

All of these patterns depend on one rule about numbers, which has no exceptions for 장.

Which Number System Does 장 Take?

장 takes native Korean numbers, with no exceptions for amounts below 100. The reason is the nature of the thing counted: native numbers count objects you can hold, and Sino-Korean numbers label, measure and order. Sheets and tickets are objects you hold.

This is the same split described in Sino vs native Korean numbers. Two details are worth remembering. First, 삼 장 is not meaningless: it can mean "chapter three" when 장 is the Sino-Korean word 章 (chapter), as in 제삼 장 (the prefix 제 attaches to the number). Second, a sheet's value or identity is labelled with Sino numbers, so the same ticket can use both systems: 표 두 장 (two tickets) but 삼 번 표 (ticket number 3).

Expert insight: if a counter names a physical thing, try the native number first. If it names a position, a label or a measurement (번 as "number", 층, 원, 쪽), try the Sino-Korean one. 장 belongs to the first group, and 쪽 belongs to the second, which is why the two behave differently on a page.

Which Things Take 장?

Things take 장 when they are flat and thin, like a sheet. Korean sorts nouns by this shape, so the counter tells the listener what kind of object you mean. The table groups the most common ones.

Three items in this table sit on the edge of the rule. 이불 (a thick quilt) is counted 한 장 in everyday speech, but the dictionary also lists 채 for bedding, so a careful speaker may say 이불 한 채. Sliced cheese is counted 장 because each slice is a flat sheet, even though cheese in general is not. And 휴지, which can mean tissue paper, takes 장 when you count loose sheets and a different counter when you count a roll. The rule behind all of them is the same: the speaker pictures one flat piece.

The family list shows where 장 applies; the next question is where it stops.

What Does 장 Not Count?

장 does not count thick, rolled, bound or three-dimensional things, and it does not count flat clothes. Each of these has its own counter, and 장 would sound strange with them.

Learners often assume that every flat thing takes 장, and a shirt is the usual test case. Actually clothes form their own class counted by 벌, because Korean groups them by function (something you wear), not by shape. The same reasoning explains why a flat photo album is counted by 권: it is a bound book.

When no special counter comes to mind, use the 개 counter, the general fallback, and for clothing see clothes and shoes counters. Books have their own lesson in the 권 counter. The most common confusion, though, is between sheets and pages.

What Is the Difference between 장, 쪽 and 권?

장 counts sheets, 쪽 names page numbers, and 권 counts whole books. The three words describe the same stack of paper at different levels: the sheet you pick up, the numbered side you read, and the volume you buy.

Use 장 when you can hold the item: 열 장 복사해 주세요 ("please make ten copies"). Use 쪽 when you are pointing at a numbered place: 오십 쪽을 펴세요 ("open to page fifty"). One sheet printed on both sides carries two 쪽, so a document of five sheets can run to ten 쪽. A teacher who says 두 장 is asking for two sheets, and a teacher who says 두 쪽 is asking for two pages. Word choice also affects the verb: you hand over (내다) or tear (찢다) a 장, and you open to (펴다) or read (읽다) a 쪽.

How Do You Buy Tickets with 장?

To buy tickets in Korean, name the ticket, the number and 장, then add 주세요 ("please give me"). 표 두 장 주세요 is the standard, polite request at a cinema, a railway station or an attraction. The same sentence works with any flat item you want to be handed.

A short exchange at a cinema shows the full pattern. The clerk asks which showing, and the customer answers with a native number for the tickets and a native number for the hour:

Notice how the numbers behave. Both 두 장 (tickets) and 일곱 시 (the hour) are native, while 삼만 원 (the price) is Sino-Korean. The ticket count is a number of objects, the hour is a native-number time word, and the price is money. Any ticket purchase follows this three-part sound. To ask the price of the ticket by itself, say 한 장에 얼마예요? ("How much is one ticket?"), where the particle 에 means "per".

On a train or bus, the same pattern asks for a seat: 서울행 표 한 장 주세요 ("one ticket to Seoul, please"). In a shop, 영수증 한 장 주세요 asks for a receipt. If you want several, say the exact number; if you are unsure, say 몇 장이에요? to check how many you were given.

How Do You Count Banknotes and Cards?

Count banknotes with 장 and name their value first with 원짜리, which means "worth that many won". The value is Sino-Korean, and the count of notes is native. So 천 원짜리 한 장 is "one 1,000-won bill", and 만 원짜리 세 장 is "three 10,000-won bills".

A natural request at a shop counter is 만 원짜리 두 장으로 바꿔 주세요, which means "Please change this into two 10,000-won bills", from the verb 바꾸다 ("to change"). The amounts and the currency are explained in Korean won. Coins are the exception: 백 원짜리 동전 한 개 uses 개, because a coin is thick and round, not a thin sheet.

Cards follow the banknote rule. 카드 한 장 is "one card", and 명함 열 장 is "ten business cards". A credit card and a transit card are both flat and thin, so both take 장. The next section covers the sounds that can go wrong.

Other Uses of the Sound 장

The syllable 장 appears in several unrelated Korean words, and only one of them is the sheet counter. Knowing the others prevents confusion when you meet the sound in a sentence.

Only the counter goes after a native number. A chapter takes Sino-Korean numbers (제삼 장), which is why 삼 장 on its own can look like a wrong form of 세 장 but is actually a different word. Context settles it: a ticket window points to 두 장, and a textbook points to 제이 장.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

• 삼 장 → 세 장. 장 takes native numbers. 삼 장 would mean "chapter three".
• 종이 세 권 → 종이 세 장. 권 is for bound books, not sheets.
• 티셔츠 두 장 → 티셔츠 두 벌. Clothes are counted by 벌.
• 한 장 사진 → 사진 한 장. In plain speech the counter phrase follows the object. The number-first order needs 의: 한 장의 사진.
• 셋 장, 넷 장 → 세 장, 네 장. Use the short forms before a counter.
• 십 장 for a page number → 십 쪽. Page numbers use 쪽 and Sino numbers.

Learners often assume that attaching the number to the noun without a space is normal, as in 종이한장. Actually, Hangul spelling (한글 맞춤법, Article 43) writes the counter apart from the number: 종이 한 장. When digits are used, the counter may attach: 종이 1장. Both forms are correct; a space between a Hangul number and its counter is the standard.

Worked Example: a Trip to the Post Office

A learner describes one small errand in four sentences.

1. 엽서 열 장을 샀어요. "I bought ten postcards." 엽서 is a postcard, 열 is the native number ten, 장 counts it.
2. 우표 열 장이 필요해요. "I need ten stamps." The same count, a different flat object.
3. 만 원짜리 한 장을 냈어요. "I paid with one 10,000-won bill." The value is Sino and the count is native.
4. 영수증은 한 장만 주세요. "Just one receipt, please." The particle 만 means "only".

The checkpoint: in every sentence, the object comes first, the number is native, and the counter is 장. When the sentence includes a bill, the Sino value appears before 원짜리. If a sentence does not follow this shape, one of the six mistakes above is hiding in it.

Practice Set

Say each answer aloud, then check below.

1. "two tickets"
2. "ten photographs"
3. "How many sheets do you need?"
4. "one 10,000-won bill"
5. Fix the error: 티셔츠 한 장
6. Fix the error: 종이 삼 장
7. "Please give me three postcards."

Answers: 1. 표 두 장. 2. 사진 열 장. 3. 몇 장 필요해요? 4. 만 원짜리 한 장. 5. 티셔츠 한 벌. 6. 종이 세 장. 7. 엽서 세 장 주세요.

If you missed item 5, reread the section on what 장 does not count. If you missed item 6, return to the number-system table.

What This Lesson Does Not Cover

This lesson covers 장 as a counter for flat, thin objects. It does not teach the other counters for objects, such as 개 for general items, 권 for books or 대 for machines; each has its own lesson. It also does not cover Sino-Korean numbers beyond the banknote values, which are in Sino-Korean numbers 1-100 elsewhere on the site. Usage notes describe standard Seoul Korean, and individual speakers may differ on borderline items such as bedding.

What to Learn Next

Continue with the 권 counter to count books and volumes, then compare it with the general-purpose 개 counter. The Counting Things section lists every counter for objects, and how Korean counters work explains the shared rules. With the Korean counter jang in place, paper, tickets, photos and bills are all within reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 장 count shirts? No. Shirts, jackets and other clothes are not counted with 장, even though they are fairly flat. Use 벌 (a set or piece of clothing): 티셔츠 한 벌, 코트 두 벌. 장 does count flat cloth that is not worn, such as 담요 한 장 (a blanket) or 손수건 한 장 (a handkerchief).

How do I count banknotes in Korean? Count banknotes with 장 and name the value first with 원짜리 (worth that many won): 천 원짜리 한 장 is one 1,000-won bill, and 만 원짜리 세 장 is three 10,000-won bills. The number before 장 is native; the value before 원짜리 is Sino-Korean. Coins use 개 instead.

What is the difference between 장 and 쪽? 장 counts physical sheets and takes native numbers (종이 두 장). 쪽 names a numbered page or side and takes Sino-Korean numbers (십 쪽, "page ten"). You hand over a 장, but you turn to a 쪽. One sheet printed on both sides carries two 쪽. A book as a whole is counted with 권.

Is 장 used for postcards and photographs? Yes. Postcards (엽서), photographs (사진), greeting cards (카드) and stamps (우표) are flat and thin, so each takes 장: 엽서 네 장, 사진 세 장. Thick or three-dimensional items, such as a photo album or a parcel, do not. Use 권 for an album and 개 for a parcel.

Can I use 개 instead of 장 if I forget it? Yes, as a fallback. 개 is the general counter and Koreans will understand 종이 한 개, but it sounds like counting loose objects and a native speaker would normally say 한 장. Learn 장 for paper, tickets and photos, because those are among the most frequent things beginners count.

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