Take the Korean Counters Quiz
Practice
몇 명이에요
Question 14 replay clip
사과 세 개
Listening practice phrase
강아지 한 마리
Listening practice phrase
커피 두 잔
Listening practice phrase
책 세 권
Listening practice phrase
차 한 대
Listening practice phrase
맥주 한 병
Listening practice phrase
Practice · 15
Which counter is used for people?
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명
명 (myeong) counts people: 학생 두 명 is two students. Animals take 마리 and objects take 개.
Which counter is used for animals?
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마리
마리 (mari) counts animals: 강아지 한 마리 is one puppy.
Which counter is used for cups and glasses?
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잔
잔 (jan) counts cups and glasses: 커피 두 잔 is two cups of coffee. 병 is for bottles.
Which counter is used for books?
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권
권 (gwon) counts books and volumes: 책 세 권 is three books.
Which general counter is used for objects when you do not know a specific one?
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개
개 (gae) is the default for small objects: 사과 세 개 is three apples.
Which counter is used for sheets of paper and tickets?
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장
장 (jang) counts flat, thin things: 종이 다섯 장 is five sheets of paper.
Which counter is used for bottles?
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병
병 (byeong) counts bottles: 맥주 한 병 is one bottle of beer.
Which counter is used for cars and machines?
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대
대 (dae) counts vehicles and machines: 차 한 대 is one car.
How do you say "three students"?
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학생 세 명
명 takes a native number, and 셋 shortens to 세 before a counter. 삼 is Sino-Korean, and 개 is the wrong counter.
How do you say "one puppy"?
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강아지 한 마리
마리 takes a native number, and 하나 shortens to 한: 한 마리.
How do you say "two cups of coffee"?
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커피 두 잔
잔 takes a native number, and 둘 shortens to 두 before a counter.
How do you say "twenty people"?
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스무 명
Exactly 20 shortens to 스무 before a counter, and people take 명, not 마리 or 개.
How do you say "the third floor"?
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삼 층
층 (cheung) takes Sino-Korean numbers, so the third floor is 삼 층. It is the one counter in this quiz that does.
Someone asks 몇 명이에요? (myeot myeongieyo?). Which answer fits two people?
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두 명이에요
Answer with the same counter as the question: 두 명이에요 (du myeongieyo). 이 명 is wrong because 명 takes a native number.
Which phrase uses the wrong counter?
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친구 두 개
개 is for objects, and people need 명. 친구 두 명 is correct for two friends.
Follow these steps. Each one tells you what you should see.
- Read the question and say any Korean text aloud once. You should see four choices.
- Pick one choice by click, tap or by pressing 1, 2, 3 or 4. The Check button turns active.
- Select Check. You see "Correct" or "Not quite", the right answer and a one-sentence reason. Select Next.
- After question 15, read the summary. It shows how many answers were correct in this session and links to the Korean counters lessons and the deck for the questions you missed.
Question order and choice order change every session, so a retake is never the same sequence. Counter phrases are given in the order Korean uses: the thing, then the number, then the counter.
What Does This Korean Counters Quiz Cover?
The quiz has 15 questions. Eight ask which counter fits a thing, four ask for the right number form before a counter, one asks about the Sino-Korean exception 층, one asks how to answer a 몇 question, and one asks you to spot the wrong counter. The counters are 개, 명, 마리, 병, 잔, 권, 장 and 대.
| Question type | Count | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Which counter fits this thing? | 8 | Which counter is used for people? |
| Right number form before a counter | 4 | 학생 세 명, not 삼 명 |
| Sino-Korean exception | 1 | 삼 층, the third floor |
| Answering a 몇 question | 1 | 몇 명이에요? 두 명이에요. |
| Spot the wrong counter | 1 | 친구 두 개 is wrong |
The lessons behind the quiz are korean counters and how Korean counters work. Together they explain the word order, the choice of counter and the number rules.
How Is the Korean Counters Quiz Scored?
The quiz gives one point for each of the 15 questions you answer correctly on the first try in the current session. At the end it shows a line such as "You answered 12 of 15 correctly in this session". There is no timer, no streak and no ranking, so you can slow down and say each answer aloud.
The count is not a CEFR level, a TOPIK level or a measure of fluency. It only shows what you recalled today. Your answers and score stay in your browser and disappear when you close the tab, unless you choose to save progress on your own device. If you miss a number-form question, check the reason line for the native number that goes with the counter.
Which Counter Fits Which Thing?
Korean puts the counter after the number and the thing before both: 사과 세 개 means "three apples". Choose the counter by the kind of thing you count. This table lists the eight counters in the quiz.
| Counter | Revised Romanization | Counts | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 개 | gae | general objects | 사과 세 개 | three apples |
| 명 | myeong | people | 학생 두 명 | two students |
| 마리 | mari | animals | 강아지 한 마리 | one puppy |
| 병 | byeong | bottles | 맥주 한 병 | one bottle of beer |
| 잔 | jan | cups and glasses | 커피 두 잔 | two cups of coffee |
| 권 | gwon | books | 책 세 권 | three books |
| 장 | jang | sheets, tickets, photos | 종이 다섯 장 | five sheets of paper |
| 대 | dae | cars and machines | 차 한 대 | one car |
The default is 개. When you do not know a more specific counter, 개 works for small objects. It does not work for people or animals, which need 명 and 마리.
Which Numbers Go before a Counter?
The eight counters in the quiz all take native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋). The first four numbers and 20 shorten before a counter. Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼) go with a few other counters, such as 층 for floors.
| Number | Alone | Before a counter | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 | 한 | 한 명 (han myeong) |
| 2 | 둘 | 두 | 두 잔 (du jan) |
| 3 | 셋 | 세 | 세 권 (se gwon) |
| 4 | 넷 | 네 | 네 마리 (ne mari) |
| 20 | 스물 | 스무 | 스무 명 (seumu myeong) |
| 3rd floor | 삼 | 삼 (no change) | 삼 층 (sam cheung) |
From 100 on, all counters switch to Sino-Korean numbers: 백 개, 백 명. The shortened forms also apply to 21 and higher in the last digit, so 21 people is 스물한 명.
Listen to the Counter Phrases
Play each clip and say the phrase after it. The number and the counter are one unit, so say them together.
- 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae): three apples
- 강아지 한 마리 (gangaji han mari): one puppy
- 커피 두 잔 (keopi du jan): two cups of coffee
- 책 세 권 (chaek se gwon): three books
- 차 한 대 (cha han dae): one car
- 맥주 한 병 (maekju han byeong): one bottle of beer
Sample Questions with Answers
These six questions come from the quiz, with the answer and the reason for each. They also work as a no-JavaScript preview. They cover people, animals, cups, books, objects and sheets.
Sample Question 1 and Its Answer
Question: Which counter is used for people?
Choices: 마리; 개; 명; 권.
Answer: 명. Why: 명 (myeong) counts people: 학생 두 명 is two students. Animals take 마리 and objects take 개.
Sample Question 2 and Its Answer
Question: Which counter is used for animals?
Choices: 개; 병; 명; 마리.
Answer: 마리. Why: 마리 (mari) counts animals: 강아지 한 마리 is one puppy.
Sample Question 3 and Its Answer
Question: Which counter is used for cups and glasses?
Choices: 병; 잔; 장; 대.
Answer: 잔. Why: 잔 (jan) counts cups and glasses: 커피 두 잔 is two cups of coffee. 병 is for bottles.
Sample Question 4 and Its Answer
Question: Which counter is used for books?
Choices: 권; 장; 개; 대.
Answer: 권. Why: 권 (gwon) counts books and volumes: 책 세 권 is three books.
Sample Question 5 and Its Answer
Question: Which general counter is used for objects when you do not know a specific one?
Choices: 명; 개; 마리; 권.
Answer: 개. Why: 개 (gae) is the default for small objects: 사과 세 개 is three apples.
Sample Question 6 and Its Answer
Question: Which counter is used for sheets of paper and tickets?
Choices: 잔; 병; 권; 장.
Answer: 장. Why: 장 (jang) counts flat, thin things: 종이 다섯 장 is five sheets of paper.
Tips before You Start
- Pair each counter with a picture in your head: 명 with a person, 마리 with an animal, 잔 with a cup, 권 with a book.
- Pair the counter with a native number: 한, 두, 세, 네. Say the whole phrase aloud, not just the counter.
- Learn the six most common counters first: 개, 명, 마리, 잔, 권 and 장.
- Remember the one exception in this quiz: 층 takes a Sino-Korean number (삼 층), not a native one.
Which Mistakes Does the Korean Counters Quiz Catch?
Four errors cover most misses.
- Using Sino-Korean numbers with 명, as in 삼 명.
- Using the object counter 개 for people or animals.
- Saying 하나 or 둘 before the counter instead of the shortened 한 or 두.
- Using a native number for floors, where 층 needs 삼 or 오 instead of 세 or 다섯.
What Should You Study after the Quiz?
Drill the counters with the korean counters flashcards, and reread the korean counters lessons for any counter you missed. For help with choosing the number word, try the korean number converter. To practise the numbers themselves, take the korean numbers quiz. You can also return to the korean vocabulary quiz list, or take the korean level test for a wider check.
Answer Key for Questions 7 to 15
Prefer to test yourself first? Take the quiz above, then check this table. The first six answers are in the sample questions.
| # | Question | Correct answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Which counter is used for bottles? | 병 | 병 (byeong) counts bottles: 맥주 한 병 is one bottle of beer. |
| 8 | Which counter is used for cars and machines? | 대 | 대 (dae) counts vehicles and machines: 차 한 대 is one car. |
| 9 | How do you say "three students"? | 학생 세 명 | 명 takes a native number, and 셋 shortens to 세 before a counter. 삼 is Sino-Korean, and 개 is the wrong counter. |
| 10 | How do you say "one puppy"? | 강아지 한 마리 | 마리 takes a native number, and 하나 shortens to 한: 한 마리. |
| 11 | How do you say "two cups of coffee"? | 커피 두 잔 | 잔 takes a native number, and 둘 shortens to 두 before a counter. |
| 12 | How do you say "twenty people"? | 스무 명 | Exactly 20 shortens to 스무 before a counter, and people take 명, not 마리 or 개. |
| 13 | How do you say "the third floor"? | 삼 층 | 층 (cheung) takes Sino-Korean numbers, so the third floor is 삼 층. It is the one counter in this quiz that does. |
| 14 | Someone asks 몇 명이에요? (myeot myeongieyo?). Which answer fits two people? | 두 명이에요 | Answer with the same counter as the question: 두 명이에요 (du myeongieyo). 이 명 is wrong because 명 takes a native number. |
| 15 | Which phrase uses the wrong counter? | 친구 두 개 | 개 is for objects, and people need 명. 친구 두 명 is correct for two friends. |
What Does This Quiz Not Do?
The quiz covers eight everyday counters and the floor counter 층. It does not test time counters such as 시간 or 개월, the honorific counter 분, the food counters 그릇 and 인분, or counters for clothing and shoes. It does not test large numbers. Colloquial speech may use looser counters than the textbook ones. All Korean text in the questions and answers was generated and is waiting for review by a Korean reviewer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do 한, 두, 세 and 네 change before a counter?
The native numbers 하나, 둘, 셋 and 넷 have shortened forms that are used when a counter follows. This is a fixed rule of the language, not a choice. Exactly 20 also shortens, from 스물 to 스무. Other numbers such as 다섯 and 여섯 stay the same.
Does the quiz use audio?
Most questions have a replay button for the Korean word or phrase. If a clip is missing, the replay button is hidden and the question still works as text.
Is 개 always safe when I do not know the counter?
Almost. 개 works for small objects, and Koreans will understand you. It does not work for people, which need 명, or animals, which need 마리. When you are unsure, say 개 for an object and look up the specific counter later.
Which counters are not in the quiz?
The quiz leaves out time counters, the honorific 분, food counters such as 그릇 and 인분, and clothing counters. These appear in the full set of counters lessons, with their own number rules. The quiz keeps to the eight counters you will use most often in the first weeks.
Is the quiz free?
Yes. The quiz is free, needs no account and runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing you answer is uploaded to a server. If you choose to save progress, it is stored on your own device only, and you can delete it in the settings at any time.
Retake the Korean Counters Quiz
Retake the korean counters quiz once you can say a number plus the right counter for each of the eight things in the table. The reason line for each question is also a mini-lesson, so reading it twice often helps more than a fast retake. When the counters feel easy, practise the numbers themselves.