Meaning and Usage
The Korean word '여든' specifically means the number eighty (80). It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts when referring to age, quantity, or counts.
Common Contexts
- Age: Often used to express someone's age, especially elderly people, e.g., '여든 살' (eighty years old).
- Quantity: Used to count items or occurrences, e.g., '여든 번' (eighty times), '여든 명' (eighty people).
Collocations and Patterns
- 여든 살: to indicate age, often respectful when talking about elders.
- 여든 번 이상: to express 'more than eighty times', showing frequency.
- 여든 명: to count people, useful in events or group settings.
Notes
'여든' is a native Korean number used for counting age and objects, unlike Sino-Korean numbers which are also common. Learners sometimes confuse '여든' with '팔십' (palship), which is the Sino-Korean equivalent for eighty. Both are correct, but '여든' is more often used in spoken Korean for age.
Remember to use '여든' appropriately depending on the context—age or counting—and note that it is a round number often used in everyday conversation.