0 in Korean = 영 (yeong) / 공 (gong)

The number 0 in Korean has two forms: 영 (yeong) pronounced "yuhng" (Sino-Korean) and 공 (gong) pronounced "gohng" (meaning "empty/ball"). Yeong is more common in formal contexts.

Quick Answer

Pronunciation

Yeong (영):

• One syllable: "yuhng"
• Like "young" but with "uh" sound
• Sino-Korean number system

Gong (공):

• One syllable: "gohng"
• Like "gong" (the instrument)
• Means "empty" or "ball"
• Common in phone numbers

Common mistakes:

• Pronouncing yeong like English "young"
• Not knowing when to use gong vs yeong

When to Use Each

Use 영 (yeong):

• Mathematics: 0 + 5 = 5
• Formal contexts
• Reading numbers formally
• Temperature: 영도 (yeong-do) = 0 degrees
• Scores in formal settings

Use 공 (gong):

• Phone numbers: 010-0000-0000
• Informal counting
• Sports scores: 3대공 (3-dae-gong) = 3-0
• More colloquial

The Characters

영 (零):

• Sino-Korean character
• Same origin as Chinese 零
• More formal

공 (空):

• Korean character meaning "empty"
• Also means "ball" or "sphere"
• More colloquial

Practical Usage

Counting: When counting: 영/공, 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오...

Phone numbers:

• 0 = 공 (gong) - almost always
• Example: 010 = 공일공 (gong-il-gong)

Prices:

• ₩0 = 영원 (yeong won) - though rare
• Zero won is unusual

Times:

• 00:00 = 영시 (yeong-si) / 자정 (ja-jeong) = midnight
• More commonly: 자정 (midnight)

Temperature:

• 0°C = 영도 (yeong-do)
• Below zero = 영하 (yeong-ha)

Scores:

• In sports: 3-0 = 삼대공 (sam-dae-gong) or 삼대영 (sam-dae-yeong)

Korean Number Systems

Two number systems in Korean:

Sino-Korean (Chinese-derived):

• 영/공 (0), 일 (1), 이 (2), 삼 (3), 사 (4), 오 (5)...
• Used for: dates, money, phone numbers, addresses, math

Native Korean:

• 하나 (1), 둘 (2), 셋 (3), 넷 (4), 다섯 (5)...
• Used for: age, counting objects, hours
• NO native Korean zero - uses Sino-Korean

Common Phrases

영점 (yeong-jeom): Zero point (in decimals)

• Example: 0.5 = 영점오 (yeong-jeom-o)

공공공 (gong-gong-gong): 000 (phone numbers)

영도 (yeong-do): Zero degrees

영하 (yeong-ha): Below zero

공으로 시작하다 (gong-eu-ro si-jak-ha-da): Start from zero

Writing

Hangul: 영 or 공

• Korean alphabet
• 영 = ㅇ (ng) + ㅕ (yeo) + ㅇ (ng)
• 공 = ㄱ (g) + ㅗ (o) + ㅇ (ng)

Hanja (Chinese character):

• 零 (for yeong) - rarely used
• 空 (for gong) - rarely used

Modern Korean primarily uses Hangul.

Quick Takeaways

• 0 in Korean = 영 (yeong) or 공 (gong)
• 영 (yeong) = formal, math, temperature
• 공 (gong) = phone numbers, informal
• Pronounced "yuhng" or "gohng"
• Phone numbers almost always use 공
• No native Korean zero exists
• 영하 (yeong-ha) = below zero
• Sino-Korean number system

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If you're traveling in Korea, TravelNum shows you how numbers are pronounced in Korean.