Taekwondo classes count in Korean. To count reps, steps and kicks, instructors use the native Korean numbers: hana, dul, set, net, daseot, yeoseot, ilgop, yeodeol, ahop, yeol (1 to 10). Numbers 11 to 99 are built from these by putting a tens word in front of a unit, so 23 is seumul-set (twenty-three). For belt ranks and form names, taekwondo uses the second Korean system, the Sino-Korean numbers il, i, sam, sa, o, yuk, chil, pal, gu, sip, as in Taegeuk Il Jang or il dan (first-degree black belt). For 100, Korean uses the Sino-Korean word baek.
| Counting in class | Native Korean: hana, dul, set, net, daseot… |
|---|---|
| Ranks and forms | Sino-Korean: il, i, sam, sa, o… |
| How 11–99 work | Tens word + unit word: 15 = yeol-daseot |
| 100 | Baek (Sino-Korean) |
| Romanization | Revised Romanization; school handouts often use other spellings |
1 to 10
Taekwondo numbers 1–10 in Korean
These are the numbers you will hear most in class. The “Say it” column is an English sound guide for the native numbers; the last column shows the Sino-Korean number used for ranks and form names.
| Number | Hangul | Native Korean | Say it | Sino-Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 | hana | hah-nah | 일 (il) |
| 2 | 둘 | dul | dool | 이 (i) |
| 3 | 셋 | set | set | 삼 (sam) |
| 4 | 넷 | net | net | 사 (sa) |
| 5 | 다섯 | daseot | dah-sut | 오 (o) |
| 6 | 여섯 | yeoseot | yuh-sut | 육 (yuk) |
| 7 | 일곱 | ilgop | eel-gope | 칠 (chil) |
| 8 | 여덟 | yeodeol | yuh-dull | 팔 (pal) |
| 9 | 아홉 | ahop | ah-hope | 구 (gu) |
| 10 | 열 | yeol | yull | 십 (sip) |
Spellings vary between schools. You may see dool for dul, dasut for daseot, yasut for yeoseot, yudol for yeodeol and yul for yeol. They are the same words written in different romanizations.
11 to 19
Counting 11 to 19
Put yeol (ten) in front of the units 1 to 9. In speech the two parts run together.
- 11 yeol-hana, 12 yeol-dul, 13 yeol-set, 14 yeol-net, 15 yeol-daseot.
- 16 yeol-yeoseot, 17 yeol-ilgop, 18 yeol-yeodeol, 19 yeol-ahop.
The tens
The tens: 10 to 100
Native Korean has its own word for each ten up to 90. Sino-Korean builds tens as “number + sip”, so 30 is sam-sip (three tens). For 100, Korean uses only the Sino-Korean baek; the old native word, on, is no longer used.
| Number | Native Korean | Sino-Korean |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 열 (yeol) | 십 (sip) |
| 20 | 스물 (seumul) | 이십 (i-sip) |
| 30 | 서른 (seoreun) | 삼십 (sam-sip) |
| 40 | 마흔 (maheun) | 사십 (sa-sip) |
| 50 | 쉰 (swin) | 오십 (o-sip) |
| 60 | 예순 (yesun) | 육십 (yuk-sip) |
| 70 | 일흔 (ilheun) | 칠십 (chil-sip) |
| 80 | 여든 (yeodeun) | 팔십 (pal-sip) |
| 90 | 아흔 (aheun) | 구십 (gu-sip) |
| 100 | Not used today | 백 (baek) |
Full list
Taekwondo numbers 1–100: full list
Every number from 1 to 100 in native Korean, the system used for counting in class. Learn the tens word and the nine units, and you can say any number.
- 1–9: hana, dul, set, net, daseot, yeoseot, ilgop, yeodeol, ahop.
- 10–19: 10 yeol, 11 yeol-hana, 12 yeol-dul, 13 yeol-set, 14 yeol-net, 15 yeol-daseot, 16 yeol-yeoseot, 17 yeol-ilgop, 18 yeol-yeodeol, 19 yeol-ahop.
- 20–29: 20 seumul, 21 seumul-hana, 22 seumul-dul, 23 seumul-set, 24 seumul-net, 25 seumul-daseot, 26 seumul-yeoseot, 27 seumul-ilgop, 28 seumul-yeodeol, 29 seumul-ahop.
- 30–39: 30 seoreun, 31 seoreun-hana, 32 seoreun-dul, 33 seoreun-set, 34 seoreun-net, 35 seoreun-daseot, 36 seoreun-yeoseot, 37 seoreun-ilgop, 38 seoreun-yeodeol, 39 seoreun-ahop.
- 40–49: 40 maheun, 41 maheun-hana, 42 maheun-dul, 43 maheun-set, 44 maheun-net, 45 maheun-daseot, 46 maheun-yeoseot, 47 maheun-ilgop, 48 maheun-yeodeol, 49 maheun-ahop.
- 50–59: 50 swin, 51 swin-hana, 52 swin-dul, 53 swin-set, 54 swin-net, 55 swin-daseot, 56 swin-yeoseot, 57 swin-ilgop, 58 swin-yeodeol, 59 swin-ahop.
- 60–69: 60 yesun, 61 yesun-hana, 62 yesun-dul, 63 yesun-set, 64 yesun-net, 65 yesun-daseot, 66 yesun-yeoseot, 67 yesun-ilgop, 68 yesun-yeodeol, 69 yesun-ahop.
- 70–79: 70 ilheun, 71 ilheun-hana, 72 ilheun-dul, 73 ilheun-set, 74 ilheun-net, 75 ilheun-daseot, 76 ilheun-yeoseot, 77 ilheun-ilgop, 78 ilheun-yeodeol, 79 ilheun-ahop.
- 80–89: 80 yeodeun, 81 yeodeun-hana, 82 yeodeun-dul, 83 yeodeun-set, 84 yeodeun-net, 85 yeodeun-daseot, 86 yeodeun-yeoseot, 87 yeodeun-ilgop, 88 yeodeun-yeodeol, 89 yeodeun-ahop.
- 90–99: 90 aheun, 91 aheun-hana, 92 aheun-dul, 93 aheun-set, 94 aheun-net, 95 aheun-daseot, 96 aheun-yeoseot, 97 aheun-ilgop, 98 aheun-yeodeol, 99 aheun-ahop.
- 100: baek (백).
In class
Where numbers appear in taekwondo
Native
Counting reps and steps
Kicks, punches, push-ups and the steps of a form are counted hana, dul, set, net and so on.
Sino-Korean
Black belt ranks
Il dan (1st dan), i dan (2nd), sam dan (3rd) and up to gu dan (9th). Junior poom ranks follow the same pattern: il poom, i poom.
Sino-Korean
Color belt grades
Gup grades count down, often from sip gup (10th gup) for a new white belt through gu gup and pal gup to il gup (1st gup).
Sino-Korean
Form names
The eight Taegeuk forms run from Il Jang (first) to Pal Jang (eighth): Il, I, Sam, Sa, O, Yuk, Chil, Pal.
See Taegeuk Il Jang, the taekwondo belt order, the ITF belt order and taekwondo black belt levels.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Korean numbers
- Eo, as in daseot and yeol, sounds like the “u” in “cup”, not “e-o”.
- Final consonants are short and unreleased: set and net end with a light “t”, ilgop with a closed “p”.
- Before a counting word, a few numbers shorten: hana becomes han, dul becomes du, set becomes se, net becomes ne and seumul becomes seumu. When you simply count aloud in class, use the full forms.
- Practice out loud. Counting your own kicks or push-ups in Korean is the fastest way to make the numbers stick.
Tip
Learn 1 to 10 first; it covers almost every drill. Then learn the Sino-Korean 1 to 10 alongside your belt and form names. For other words you will hear in class, see taekwondo terminology.
To go beyond counting, pick up a beginner Korean language book from places like Amazon. New to classes? Start with taekwondo for beginners and poomsae.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Korean for taekwondo?
Hana, dul, set, net, daseot, yeoseot, ilgop, yeodeol, ahop, yeol. These are the native Korean numbers used to count in class.
Why does Korean have two sets of numbers?
Korean uses native Korean numbers for counting things and people up to 99, and Sino-Korean numbers, which come from Chinese, for dates, money, large numbers and ordered items. Taekwondo uses native numbers for counting and Sino-Korean numbers for ranks and form names.
How do you say 100 in Korean?
Baek (백). It is a Sino-Korean word; the old native Korean word for 100 is no longer used.
How do you say first-degree black belt in Korean?
Il dan. Second degree is i dan and third degree is sam dan, using the Sino-Korean numbers.
How do you say 20 in Korean?
Seumul in native Korean, used for counting, or i-sip in Sino-Korean. Twenty-one is seumul-hana.
Do ITF and WT schools count the same way?
Yes. Both count drills with the native Korean numbers. Spellings on handouts differ, but the words are the same.
The short version
Count in class with the native Korean numbers hana, dul, set, net, daseot, yeoseot, ilgop, yeodeol, ahop, yeol, and build 11 to 99 by putting a tens word (yeol, seumul, seoreun, maheun, swin, yesun, ilheun, yeodeun, aheun) in front. Ranks and form names use the Sino-Korean numbers il, i, sam, sa, o, yuk, chil, pal, gu, sip, and 100 is baek.