[Series 11/50] How Much Is It? Mastering Korean Currency & Price Reading

Learn-Korean-Currency

1. Introduction

Welcome back to our "Series 50" Korean language journey! If you are just starting, I highly recommend checking out our previous post, Series 10/50: The Ultimate Number Guide. Today, we are moving from theory to reality. Whether you are at a local market in Seoul or grabbing a snack at a convenience store, knowing how to ask and read prices is the most important skill for living in Korea.

💡 Tip for Mobile Users: If the tables look a bit small on your phone, rotate your screen horizontally for a better view!

2. The Core Logic: Korean Currency

• Currency Unit: The unit of currency in Korea is 'Won' (원).

• Sino-Korean Numbers: Always use Sino-Korean numbers (il, i, sam, sa...) when talking about money.

• The 4-Digit Rule: Korea counts by 10,000s ('Man'). This is the absolute key to reading prices correctly.

3. Full Price Reading Table (50 Practice Examples)

50 Number Practice Table

No	Amount	Pronunciation	No	Amount	Pronunciation
1	100원	[Baek won]	26	30만 원	[Sam-ship-man won]
2	200원	[I-baek won]	27	40만 원	[Sa-ship-man won]
3	500원	[O-baek won]	28	50만 원	[O-ship-man won]
4	800원	[Pal-baek won]	29	70만 원	[Chil-ship-man won]
5	1,000원	[Cheon won]	30	90만 원	[Gu-ship-man won]
6	1,500원	[Cheon-o-baek won]	31	100만 원	[Baek-man won]
7	3,000원	[Sam-cheon won]	32	120만 원	[Baek-i-ship-man won]
8	5,000원	[O-cheon won]	33	150만 원	[Baek-o-ship-man won]
9	7,000원	[Chil-cheon won]	34	200만 원	[I-baek-man won]
10	9,000원	[Gu-cheon won]	35	300만 원	[Sam-baek-man won]
11	1만 원	[Man won]	36	500만 원	[O-baek-man won]
12	1만 2천 원	[Man-i-cheon won]	37	1,000만 원	[Cheon-man won]
13	1만 5천 원	[Man-o-cheon won]	38	1,500만 원	[Cheon-o-baek-man won]
14	2만 원	[I-man won]	39	2,000만 원	[I-cheon-man won]
15	2만 5천 원	[I-man-o-cheon won]	40	3,000만 원	[Sam-cheon-man won]
16	3만 원	[Sam-man won]	41	5,000만 원	[O-cheon-man won]
17	4만 8천 원	[Sa-man-pal-cheon won]	42	1억 원	[Il-eok won]
18	5만 원	[O-man won]	43	1억 5천만 원	[Il-eok-o-cheon-man won]
19	7만 원	[Chil-man won]	44	2억 원	[I-eok won]
20	9만 원	[Gu-man won]	45	5억 원	[O-eok won]
21	11만 원	[Ship-il-man won]	46	10억 원	[Ship-eok won]
22	13만 원	[Ship-sam-man won]	47	50억 원	[O-ship-eok won]
23	15만 원	[Ship-o-man won]	48	100억 원	[Baek-eok won]
24	20만 원	[I-ship-man won]	49	500억 원	[O-baek-eok won]
25	25만 원	[I-ship-o-man won]	50	1,000억 원	[Cheon-eok won]

Numbers are the foundation! Now that you've mastered the 50 key prices, let's look at how to use these numbers in real-world shopping conversations.

4. Real-life Shopping Conversations (Q&A)

Korean-Shopping-Phrases

Q (Question)	A (Answer)	Meaning
이거 얼마예요? [I-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?]	삼천 원이에요. [Sam-cheon won-i-e-yo.]	How much is this? / It is 3,000 won.
삼천 원 맞아요? [Sam-cheon won ma-ja-yo?]	네, 삼천 원입니다. [Ne, sam-cheon won-im-ni-da.]	Is it 3,000 won? / Yes, it is 3,000 won.
두 개 얼마예요? [Du-gae eol-ma-ye-yo?]	오천 원에 드릴게요. [O-cheon won-e deu-ril-ge-yo.]	How much for two? / 5,000 won.
싱싱해요? [Sing-sing-hae-yo?]	네, 오늘 들어온 거예요. [Ne, o-neul deu-ro-on geo-ye-yo.]	Is this fresh? / Yes, arrived today.
1kg에 얼마예요? [Il-kil-ro-e eol-ma-ye-yo?]	만 원입니다. [Man won-im-ni-da.]	How much for 1kg? / It is 10,000 won.
좀 깎아주세요. [Jom kka-kka-ju-se-yo.]	그럼 이천 원 깎아줄게요. [Geu-reom i-cheon won kka-kka-jul-ge-yo.]	Please give a discount. / 2,000 won off.
세 개 오천 원에 해주세요. [Se-gae o-cheon won-e hae-ju-se-yo.]	네, 그렇게 하세요. [Ne, geu-reo-ke ha-se-yo.]	Three for 5,000 won, please. / Okay.
이걸로 할게요. [I-geol-lo hal-ge-yo.]	네, 여기 있습니다. [Ne, yeo-gi it-sseum-ni-da.]	I'll take this. / Here you go.
봉투 있어요? [Bong-tu it-sseo-yo?]	네, 여기 담아드릴게요. [Ne, yeo-gi da-ma-deu-ril-ge-yo.]	Do you have a bag? / Yes, sure.
감사합니다! [Gam-sa-ham-ni-da!]	네, 또 오세요! [Ne, tto o-se-yo!]	Thank you! / Come again!
총 얼마예요? [Chong eol-ma-ye-yo?]	총 만 이천 원입니다. [Chong man i-cheon won-im-ni-da.]	Total cost? / It is 12,000 won.
카드로 할게요. [Ka-deu-ro hal-ge-yo.]	네, 여기 대주세요. [Ne, yeo-gi dae-ju-se-yo.]	I'll pay by card. / Please tap here.
현금 돼요? [Hyeon-geum dwae-yo?]	네, 현금 가능합니다. [Ne, hyeon-geum ga-neung-ham-ni-da.]	Cash accepted? / Yes, it is.
포인트 적립돼요? [Po-in-teu jeok-rip-dwae-yo?]	전화번호 눌러주세요. [Jeon-hwa-beon-ho nul-leo-ju-se-yo.]	Can I earn points? / Enter phone number.
영수증 주세요. [Yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.]	네, 여기 있습니다. [Ne, yeo-gi it-sseum-ni-da.]	Receipt, please. / Here it is.
영수증은 괜찮아요. [Yeong-su-jeung-eun gwaen-cha-na-yo.]	네, 알겠습니다. [Ne, al-ge-sseum-ni-da.]	No receipt needed. / Understood.
봉투 추가요. [Bong-tu chu-ga-yo.]	백 원 추가됩니다. [Baek won chu-ga-doem-ni-da.]	Extra bag, please. / 100 won extra.
전자레인지 돌려주세요. [Jeon-ja-re-in-ji dol-lyeo-ju-se-yo.]	1분만 기다려주세요. [Il-bun-man gi-da-ryeo-ju-se-yo.]	Please heat it up. / Wait 1 minute.
빨대 하나 주세요. [Ppal-dae ha-na ju-se-yo.]	네, 여기요. [Ne, yeo-gi-yo.]	Straw, please. / Here you go.
수고하세요. [Su-go-ha-se-yo.]	안녕히 가세요! [An-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo!]	Thank you. / Goodbye!
작은 사이즈 있어요? [Ja-geun sa-i-jeu it-sseo-yo?]	잠시만요, 찾아볼게요. [Jam-si-man-yo, cha-ja-bol-ge-yo.]	Smaller size? / Let me check.
입어봐도 돼요? [I-beo-bwa-do dwae-yo?]	탈의실 이용하세요. [Tal-ui-sil i-yong-ha-se-yo.]	Can I try this on? / Use fitting room.
탈의실 어디예요? [Tal-ui-sil eo-di-ye-yo?]	이쪽으로 가세요. [I-jjok-eu-ro ga-se-yo.]	Where is the fitting room? / Go this way.
다른 색깔 있어요? [Da-reun saek-kkal it-sseo-yo?]	네, 여기 있어요. [Ne, yeo-gi it-sseo-yo.]	Other colors? / Yes, we have.
이건 얼마예요? [I-geon eol-ma-ye-yo?]	십만 원입니다. [Ship-man won-im-ni-da.]	How much is this? / 100,000 won.
너무 비싸요. [Neo-mu bi-ssa-yo.]	인기 있는 디자인이에요. [In-gi it-neun di-ja-in-i-e-yo.]	Too expensive. / It's popular.
좀 더 둘러볼게요. [Jom deo dul-leo-bol-ge-yo.]	네, 천천히 보세요. [Ne, cheon-cheon-hi bo-se-yo.]	I'll look around. / Take your time.
뭐가 잘 나가요? [Mwo-ga jal na-ga-yo?]	이게 제일 잘 나가요. [I-ge je-il jal na-ga-yo.]	What's popular? / This is best.
추천 좀 해주세요. [Chu-cheon jom hae-ju-se-yo.]	그럼 이게 어때요? [Geu-reom i-ge eo-tteo-yo?]	Any recommendations? / How about this?
보고 다시 올게요. [Bo-go da-si ol-ge-yo.]	네, 또 오세요! [Ne, tto o-se-yo!]	I'll come back later. / See you again!

Key Shopping Conversations

5. Conclusion & YouTube Supplement

Reading is the first step, but listening is the key to speaking like a local. To help you master the rhythm and pronunciation of these phrases, please check out  YouTube channel:

• Watch YouTube video: Real-life Korean Number Conversations

• If you missed our previous number lesson, check out: Series 10/50: The Ultimate Number Guide.

I'd love to hear from you! Which shopping phrase do you think is the most useful? Leave a comment below and let’s practice together. Also, if you found this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with your friends who are learning Korean!

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