Key facts
- Math uses the Sino-Korean numbers: 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오.
- The four operations are 더하기, 빼기, 곱하기 and 나누기.
- A spoken sum puts 은 or 는 after the second number: 이 더하기 삼은 오.
- A fraction reads the denominator first: 삼 분의 일 is 1/3.
- A decimal point is 점: 삼 점 일 사 is 3.14.
- Percent is 퍼센트: 오십 퍼센트 is 50%.
Math in Korean: the Essentials
Math in Korean follows one idea: read the numbers in the Sino-Korean series and glue them together with operation words. Sino-Korean numbers are the series 일, 이, 삼 borrowed from Chinese. They are the numbers Koreans use for school arithmetic, money and dates, so everything you learn here connects to those topics too. An operation word is the verb-like noun that names what you do to the numbers, such as 더하기 for adding.
Each operation has its own word, and each sum is a full sentence in which the second number carries the particle 은 or 는. The particle 은 follows a number ending in a consonant, and 는 follows a vowel, as in the table.
| Operation | Symbol | Spoken sum | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| addition | + | 이 더하기 삼은 오 | 2 + 3 = 5 |
| subtraction | − | 오 빼기 이는 삼 | 5 − 2 = 3 |
| multiplication | × | 이 곱하기 삼은 육 | 2 × 3 = 6 |
| division | ÷ | 육 나누기 이는 삼 | 6 ÷ 2 = 3 |
The sentence has no separate word for "equals". The particle 은 or 는 does that job, because it marks the expression as the topic: "as for two plus three, it is five". Teachers and textbooks use the same pattern, so a child's first Korean sums sound just like the ones above.
What Is the Korean Word for "Divided By"?
The Korean word for "divided by" is 나누기, from the verb 나누다 ("to divide, to share"). It sits between the two numbers, as in 육 나누기 이는 삼 ("six divided by two is three"). The noun for the operation itself is 나눗셈, and the result of a division is the 몫, with any leftover called the 나머지.
The same pattern holds for the other three: 더하기 comes from 더하다 (to add), 빼기 from 빼다 (to subtract), and 곱하기 from 곱하다 (to multiply). The noun forms 덧셈, 뺄셈, 곱셈 and 나눗셈 name the operations as school topics.
What Pages Are in This Section?
This section has three pages, one for each stage of working with numbers: the core terms, parts of a whole, and percentages. Start with the terms page, because the other two build on its vocabulary.
Math Terms
Korean Math Terms: Plus, Minus, Times, Divide and Equals is the base page. It teaches the four operation words with eight sums read aloud, the result words 합 (sum), 차 (difference), 곱 (product), 몫 (quotient) and 나머지 (remainder), and starter words for geometry and algebra such as 삼각형, 원, 변수 and 방정식. It also compares 더하기 and 빼기 with the loanwords 플러스 and 마이너스, and lists classroom phrases such as 계산해 보세요.
Fractions and Decimals
Korean Fractions and Decimals: How to Say 1/2 and 3.14 explains the denominator-first rule behind 삼 분의 일 and the everyday words 반 and 절반 for "half". It shows how to read decimals with 점, where the digits after the point are said one by one, so 0.75 is 영 점 칠 오. The page also covers mixed numbers and uses examples from cooking and measurement, such as 반 컵 and 이 점 오 킬로.
Percentages
Korean Percentages: 퍼센트, 프로 and Discounts teaches how to say percentages with 퍼센트, as in 삼십 퍼센트 (30%), and the colloquial short form 프로. It applies the words to shopping, with discounts such as 오십 퍼센트 할인, and shows how a percentage relates to a fraction, since 오십 퍼센트 equals 반.
Where Should You Start?
Start with the page that matches what you want to say. The table maps a goal to a page and a first example. Pick the first row if you are new to math words, and move down as your needs grow.
| If you want to... | Start with | First example |
|---|---|---|
| read a sum aloud or follow a math class | Korean math terms | 오 더하기 삼은 팔 |
| say half, a third or a decimal | Korean fractions | 삼 분의 일, 삼 점 일 사 |
| read a sale sign or a test score | Korean percentages | 삼십 퍼센트 할인 |
| name school subjects such as 수학 | school subjects in Korean | 수학, 과학, 영어 |
Subject names such as 수학 (mathematics) belong to vocabulary, not to the numbers section, so they sit on a separate page. If you are still learning the numbers themselves, work through Sino-Korean numbers 1-100 first, because every math word on these pages assumes you can say them. The reason for the two series is in Sino vs native Korean numbers.
How Do the Three Pages Compare?
The three pages share one number system and differ in what they read. The table compares the shape of each reading, so you can see the pattern before you open a page.
| Page | What it reads | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math terms | operations and results | number + word + number + 은/는 + number | 육 곱하기 칠은 사십이 |
| Fractions and decimals | parts and decimals | denominator + 분의 + numerator; whole + 점 + digits | 사 분의 삼 |
| Percentages | rates | number + 퍼센트 | 이십 퍼센트 |
All three use Sino-Korean numbers, with no native series involved. The only place a native number appears near math is in counting objects, as in 사과 세 개 ("three apples"), which is a counter phrase, not an operation. A useful habit is to say each sum twice: once in Korean, and once in your own language to confirm the meaning.
Learners often assume that math requires a special vocabulary of its own. Actually the numbers are the ordinary ones, and the new part is only a short list of operation words. With the four words above and the three pages, you have the full set for school arithmetic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "equals" in Korean?
In a spoken sum, "equals" is the topic particle 은 or 는 attached to the second number, as in 이 더하기 삼은 오. In writing you also see 같다 ("is equal to"), as in 이 더하기 삼은 오와 같다. The symbol = is called 등호. No separate word like "equals" is said in everyday sums.
How do I say 1/2 in Korean?
Say 이 분의 일, which reads the denominator first: 이 (2), 분의 (of the parts), 일 (1). In everyday speech, half is usually the plain word 반, as in 반 컵 ("half a cup"). Both mean the same amount; 이 분의 일 belongs to math and 반 to daily life.
Is 영 or 공 used in maths?
영 is the standard word for zero in counting and school math, as in 영 점 오 (0.5). 공 is the usual zero in phone numbers and is also heard in some readings, such as 공 점 오. Both are understood. Use 영 in math classes and 공 for phone numbers.
How do I read negative numbers in Korean?
Say 마이너스 before the number: −5 is 마이너스 오. The formal term for a negative number is 음수. Temperatures below zero use 영하: 영하 오 도 is five degrees below zero. 마이너스 is the form you will hear most often.
Return to Korean Numbers for the number systems behind these pages, or open the first page, Korean math terms, to start reading sums aloud. With this hub as a map, math in Korean is a matter of three pages and one number system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "equals" in Korean?
In a spoken sum, "equals" is the topic particle 은 or 는 attached to the second number, as in 이 더하기 삼은 오. In writing you also see 같다 ("is equal to"), as in 이 더하기 삼은 오와 같다. The symbol = is called 등호. No separate word like "equals" is said in everyday sums.
How do I say 1/2 in Korean?
Say 이 분의 일, which reads the denominator first: 이 (2), 분의 (of the parts), 일 (1). In everyday speech, half is usually the plain word 반, as in 반 컵 ("half a cup"). Both mean the same amount; 이 분의 일 belongs to math and 반 to daily life.
Is 영 or 공 used in maths?
영 is the standard word for zero in counting and school math, as in 영 점 오 (0.5). 공 is the usual zero in phone numbers and is also heard in some readings, such as 공 점 오. Both are understood. Use 영 in math classes and 공 for phone numbers.
How do I read negative numbers in Korean?
Say 마이너스 before the number: −5 is 마이너스 오. The formal term for a negative number is 음수. Temperatures below zero use 영하: 영하 오 도 is five degrees below zero. 마이너스 is the form you will hear most often.