Key facts
- Digits: each digit is a Sino-Korean number, read one by one.
- Zero: 공 in phone numbers, and 영 in maths.
- Mobile prefix: 010, read 공일공.
- Hyphens: pauses, not spoken words.
- From abroad: +82, and the leading 0 is dropped.
How Do You Read Phone Numbers in Korean?
To read a phone number in Korean, say each digit as a Sino-Korean number and pause where the hyphens fall. Do not group digits into hundreds or thousands, because a phone number is a code and not a quantity. The mobile number 010-1234-5678 is therefore 공일공, 일이삼사, 오육칠팔.
| Digit | Reading | Digit | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 공 | 5 | 오 |
| 1 | 일 | 6 | 육 |
| 2 | 이 | 7 | 칠 |
| 3 | 삼 | 8 | 팔 |
| 4 | 사 | 9 | 구 |
Zero has two readings. The word 영 (yeong) is the maths word for zero, used in scores, temperatures and sums. The word 공 (gong) is the usual choice when you read digits one by one, so it appears in phone numbers, account numbers and room numbers. Both words are understood, and 공 is the safe pick on the phone.
Say the first group as one unit, 공일공. In the second group, 일이 sounds like [이리] because the final ㄹ moves to the next syllable, so 일이삼사 is said [이리삼사]. The audio clip above lets you check the rhythm. Read the number twice, once slowly and once at speed, to make the digits automatic.
The Groups in a Korean Number
A Korean phone number has a prefix followed by two shorter groups. The prefix tells you what kind of line it is: 010 for a mobile phone, and a short area code such as 02 for a landline in Seoul. The remaining groups are the subscriber number. The table shows the usual shapes with placeholder digits.
| Type | Shape | Sample | Spoken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 010-0000-0000 | 010-1234-5678 | 공일공, 일이삼사, 오육칠팔 |
| Seoul landline | 02-000-0000 | 02-345-6789 | 공이, 삼사오, 육칠팔구 |
The sample digits are placeholders and not real numbers. Notice that the area code 02 is read 공이, with the same 공 as in 공일공. Landline groups can hold three or four digits, so listen for the pauses and write the digits in the same groups.
Whether you meet the numbers in a shop, in a message or on a form, the reading never changes: every digit is Sino-Korean, and every 0 is 공. The detailed rules about prefixes and codes sit in the two lessons below.
What Pages Are in This Section?
The Phone Numbers section has two lessons. One teaches you to say a number aloud, and the other explains what the groups mean: the 010 prefix, area codes and the +82 country code.
Saying Numbers
How to say a phone number in Korean is the speaking lesson. It drills the digits with audio, shows how to chunk a number into groups, and gives the phrases for giving and asking for a number. It also explains how to confirm digits that sound alike, such as 일 (1) and 이 (2). Choose it first if you want to give your number to a new friend or a shop.
Formats and Codes
The Korean phone number format is the reference lesson. It shows how mobile and landline numbers are built, which area codes belong to which regions, and how a Korean number changes when you dial it from abroad. Choose it first if you are filling in a form, saving a contact or calling Korea from another country.
Once you can say a number, the next thing to learn is the phrase that asks for one.
Asking for a Phone Number
Ask 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요? ("What is your phone number?") or the shorter 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 ("Please tell me your phone number"). The word 전화번호 (jeonhwabeonho) means "phone number", and the word 좀 softens the request. The reply is the number read digit by digit, and it often ends with 이에요.
For the conversation around a call, such as answering and ending it, see Korean phone phrases.
Where Should You Start?
Start with the lesson that matches the task in front of you. Three situations cover most learners.
- "I need to say my number out loud." Open how to say a phone number in Korean.
- "I need to write or dial a Korean number." Open Korean phone number format.
- "I do not know the digits yet." Learn them first in Sino-Korean numbers 1-100, which also covers 공 and 영.
Short numbers follow the same digit-by-digit rule. Emergency calls in Korea use 112 for the police (일일이) and 119 for fire and ambulance (일일구). A travel help line uses 1330 (일삼삼공). Check the current number on an official site before you rely on it.
A simple way to practise is to read real digit strings aloud every day. Take the numbers on a receipt, a bus number or a business card, and say each digit in Korean. Start with your own number, then a friend's. After a week, the digits 일 and 이, 육 and 칠, and 사 and 구 stop sounding alike.
Comparing the Two Lessons
The two lessons answer different needs. The first is about speaking, and the second is about structure.
| Question | Lesson | You will be able to |
|---|---|---|
| How does a number sound? | Saying numbers | read a full mobile number and give your own |
| What do the groups mean? | Formats and codes | recognise 010, an area code and +82 |
| How do I ask for a number? | Both | use 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 and write the reply |
Limitation: this section covers Korean number formats at a beginner level. It does not list every area code and prefix, and it points to the format lesson for the details of international dialing. Codes can change, so check the current rules with your carrier before you dial.
The pages in this section are part of the wider Korean Numbers course, and each one links back to this hub. A summary of the whole topic: phone numbers in Korean are read with Sino-Korean digits, zero is 공, and the hyphens are silent pauses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 영 ever used for zero in a phone number?
Yes, some speakers say 영 when they read digits carefully, and everyone understands it. But 공 is the usual choice in everyday phone numbers, so you will hear 공일공 far more often than 영일영. Use 공 when you speak, and expect 영 to appear in maths, scores and temperatures instead.
How do I ask for someone's phone number?
Ask 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요? or the shorter 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요. The first means "What is your phone number?" and is polite. The second means "Please tell me your phone number." Both work with strangers, shop staff and colleagues, and both end with a polite ending.
Do Koreans say the hyphens in a phone number?
Usually not. Speakers pause where the hyphens fall and say only the digits, so 010-1234-5678 becomes three groups with short gaps. Many speakers also join the last two groups with 의, said [에], as in 일이삼사의 오육칠팔. When you write a number in a message, keep the hyphens, because they also help the person who reads it.
How do I write +82 in Korean?
Write +82 and read it as 플러스 팔이, or say 국가번호 팔십이 (country code eighty-two). The plus sign is read 플러스. Which reading you hear depends on the speaker, because 82 can be read as a number or as two digits. The details of codes are on the phone-number format page.
Do I dial the first 0 from abroad?
No. When you call a Korean number from abroad, start with the exit code or a plus sign, then 82, and drop the leading 0 of the number. So 010-1234-5678 is called as +82 10-1234-5678. Inside Korea you dial the full number including the 0.