From 11 to 100: Read Your Korean Lottery Ticket Like a Pro!
Hello! This is [Maeil Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever dreamed of winning the lottery? What if you bought a ticket while traveling in Korea? Today, we’re going to learn something super useful and fun: how to say numbers from 11 to 100 in Korean! This will help you with shopping and telling your age, but most excitingly, you’ll be able to check your own lottery numbers. These days in Korea, many people enjoy the small thrill of buying a lottery ticket for the week, imagining all the fun things they could do. Let’s learn the numbers so you can join in on the excitement!
Core Expressions: The Building Blocks of Numbers
Learning Korean numbers is like playing with LEGOs. Once you know the basic blocks, you can build anything!
1. The “Teens” (11-19)
- Korean Expression: 십일 (11), 십이 (12), 십삼 (13)…
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: Sip-il (11), Sip-i (12), Sip-sam (13)…
- English Meaning: Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen…
- Detailed Explanation: This is super easy! The number 10 in Korean is 십 (sip). To make the numbers from 11 to 19, you just add the numbers 1-9 after it.
- Formula: 십 (sip / 10) + [Number 1-9]
- Example: 10 (십) + 4 (사) = 14 (십사 / Sip-sa)
2. The “Tens” (20, 30, 40… 90)
- Korean Expression: 이십 (20), 삼십 (30), 사십 (40)…
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: I-sip (20), Sam-sip (30), Sa-sip (40)…
- English Meaning: Twenty, Thirty, Forty…
- Detailed Explanation: This is also a simple formula, but the order is reversed! You place the numbers 2-9 before 십 (sip).
- Formula: [Number 2-9] + 십 (sip / 10)
- Example: 5 (오) + 10 (십) = 50 (오십 / O-sip)
3. Putting It All Together (21, 58, 99)
- Korean Expression: 이십일 (21), 오십팔 (58), 구십구 (99)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: I-sip-il (21), O-sip-pal (58), Gu-sip-gu (99)
- English Meaning: Twenty-one, Fifty-eight, Ninety-nine
- Detailed Explanation: Now, let’s combine what we’ve learned! To make a number like 35, you just say “thirty” and then “five.”
- Formula: [The “Ten”] + [The “One”]
- Example: 35 is 삼십 (30) + 오 (5) = 삼십오 (Sam-sip-o)
- Example: 78 is 칠십 (70) + 팔 (8) = 칠십팔 (Chil-sip-pal)
Example Dialogue: Checking the Winning Numbers!
Let’s see how this works in a real conversation. Imagine two friends, A and B, checking their lottery ticket.
A: 이번 주 로또 당첨 번호 뭐예요?
(Ibeon ju lotto dangcheom beonho mwoyeyo?)
What are this week’s Lotto winning numbers?
B: 어디 보자… 십오, 이십칠, 삼십삼, 사십일…
(Eodi boja… Sibo, isip-chil, samsip-sam, sasip-il…)
Let’s see… 15, 27, 33, 41…
A: 와! 나 이십칠이랑 사십일 있어요!
(Wa! Na isip-chir-irang sasip-il isseoyo!)
Wow! I have 27 and 41!
B: 진짜요? 대박! 마지막 번호는 십구!
(Jinjayo? Daebak! Majimak beonho-neun sip-gu!)
Really? Awesome! The last number is 19!
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, the most popular lottery is called “Lotto” (로또). The winning numbers are announced every Saturday night on live TV, and it’s a small weekly ritual for many people.
You’ll often hear friends asking each other, “로또 1등 되면 뭐 할 거야?” (Lotto il-deung doemyeon mwo hal geoya?), which means “What will you do if you win first prize in the lottery?” It’s a fun way to share your dreams.
So, if you buy a Lotto ticket in Korea, you’ll see it’s a card where you pick 6 numbers from 1 to 45. Now, with the skills you learned today, you can read the numbers on your ticket and check the winning numbers all by yourself. This is fantastic reading practice and makes you feel like a local!
Let’s Review & Practice!
Great job today! You’ve learned the simple and logical system for reading Sino-Korean numbers from 11 all the way to 100. You just need to remember the “LEGO blocks” for the tens and ones.
Now, let’s test your new skills!
- Fill in the blank: How would you write the number 84 in Korean?
(팔십 + ) -> 팔십 - Write it out: Your favorite K-pop idol is 26 years old. How do you say the number 26 in Korean?
Leave your answers in the comments below! You can also write your lucky number in Korean. We’d love to see it
