Lesson 8
Lesson 8. Basic Calculations
These are the four verbs related to the four basic types of calculations.
- 더하다 [deo-ha-da] = to add
- 빼다 [ppae-da] = to subtract
- 곱하다 [go-pa-da] = to multiply
- 나누다 [na-nu-da] = to divide
And by applying the -기 ending to change them into nouns, you get:
- 더하기 [deo-ha-gi] = addition
- 빼기 [ppae-gi] = subtraction
- 곱하기 [go-pa-gi] = multiplication
- 나누기 [na-nu-gi] = division
How to read basic calculations in Korean
(Read the equation as it is written from left to right.)
5 + 2 = 7
오 더하기 이는 칠
5 - 3 = 2
오 빼기 삼은 이
5 x 3 = 15
오 곱하기 삼은 십오
22 / 4 = 5.5
이십이 나누기 사는 오쩜오
Use the words 더하기, 빼기, 곱하기, and 나누기 for the following when reading an equation:
더하기 plus
빼기 minus
곱하기 times
나누기 divided by
Side Notes
- You can use the word 곱빼기 [gop-ppae-gi] in a Chinese food restaurant in Korea to order a large-sized meal.
- You can use the verb 빼다 to ask a restaurant server to take a certain ingredient out of your food. (e.g. 고기 빼 주세요. [go-gi ppae ju-se-yo.] = Don’t put meat in it.)
- If you know the “Gwiyomi Song (귀요미 송)”, the lyrics are “일 더하기 일은 귀요미, 이 더하기 이는 귀요미, etc.”
How to read exponents
In Korean, there are two ways to read exponents: using 제곱 [je-gop] or 승 [seung]. Both words mean the same thing, but 승 is considered more formal and is commonly used in professional or academic contexts.
Notes
• 제곱 can be used with both Sino-Korean numbers and native Korean numbers.
• From squared to the fourth power, there is no spacing between the native Korean number and the word 제곱 because they are considered single words.
Examples
2²
2의 *두제곱 [i-ui du-je-gop] or 2의 2승 [i-ui i-seung]
*You can drop 두 and simply say 제곱 to mean “squared”.
3³
3의 세제곱 [sa-mui se-je-gop] or 3의 3승 [sa-mui sam-seung]
As the number gets bigger, people tend to use 승 more often than 제곱 because it’s simpler. Even when using 제곱 with large numbers, they prefer to use Sino-Korean numbers, such as 육 제곱 (to the sixth power), 칠 제곱(to the seventh power), 팔 제곱(to the eighth power), etc.