KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › 고유어 수사 (살)
Korean Grammar “고유어 수사 (살)”: How to Use It (TOPIK 1)
Explanation
제 동생은 올해 스무 살이에요.
Age is counted with a native Korean number plus “살.” “스물” becomes “스무” before a counter, so we say “스무 살.” The sentence means “My younger sibling is 20 this year.” “병” (bottles), “마리” (animals), and “권” (books) cannot be used to count age.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 제 동생은 올해 스무 살이에요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 제 | ㅈ+ㅔ | je |
| 동생은 | ||
| 동 | ㄷ+ㅗ+ㅇ | dong |
| 생 | ㅅ+ㅐ+ㅇ | saeng |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | eun |
| 올해 | ||
| 올 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄹ | ol |
| 해 | ㅎ+ㅐ | hae |
| 스무 | ||
| 스 | ㅅ+ㅡ | seu |
| 무 | ㅁ+ㅜ | mu |
| 살이에요 | ||
| 살 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㄹ | [사] sa |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [리] ri |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 살이 → [사리]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 동생 | noun | younger sibling | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 제 동생은 올해 스무 ____이에요.
Show the answer
Answer: 제 동생은 올해 스무 살이에요.
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