Korean Counter 층: How to Count floors/stories

Use Sino-Korean numbers with 층 to count buildings.

The Rule

층 is the counter for floors/stories: buildings. In Korean, you can't just say a number + noun. You MUST use a counter word between them. This is like English "two SHEETS of paper" or "three CUPS of coffee" — except Korean does this for EVERYTHING. Even "three apples" needs a counter: 사과 세 개.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English only uses counters for uncountable nouns ("a glass of water", "a piece of cake"). Korean uses counters for ALL nouns — even ones English counts directly. The second trap: Korean has TWO number systems. 층 uses Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼...) numbers. Using the wrong system is a common mistake that sounds immediately wrong to Korean ears.

How It Works

Pattern: Noun + Number + 층 Sino-Korean numbers: 일(1), 이(2), 삼(3), 사(4), 오(5), 육(6), 칠(7), 팔(8), 구(9), 십(10) The counter 층 comes right after the number. The noun can come before or after the number+counter, but before is more natural in conversation.

Real Examples

• 삼 층에 있어요. (sam cheunge iteoyo.) — "It's on the 3rd floor." [Floors use sino numbers] • 이 건물은 십 층이에요. (i geonmureun sip cheungieyo.) — "This building has 10 floors." [십 = sino 10]

Common Mistakes

❌ Using native Korean numbers with 층 ✅ Use Sino-Korean numbers: 삼 층에 있어요. → 층 always takes Sino-Korean numbers. Mixing number systems is one of the most common counter mistakes. ❌ Saying the number without a counter (e.g., "사과 세") ✅ Always include the counter: 삼 층에 있어요. → Dropping the counter sounds incomplete in Korean, like saying "three of" without finishing the phrase in English.

Quick Tip

Start with the 5 most common counters: 개 (things), 명 (people), 마리 (animals), 잔 (cups), 병 (bottles). Once these are automatic, add 층 to your toolkit. Practice counting things you see daily: "커피 두 잔", "사람 세 명". The more you use counters in real situations, the faster they become natural.

층 = floors/stories. Uses Sino-Korean numbers.

Examples

삼 층에 있어요. — sam cheunge iteoyo. — It's on the 3rd floor.

이 건물은 십 층이에요. — i geonmureun sip cheungieyo. — This building has 10 floors.