-짜리
Worth, Costing
-짜리 is a suffix used to talk about the price, value, or size of an item. It's like saying "a 1,000 won bill" or "a five-year-old child."
How It Works
-짜리 is a very useful suffix that functions like an adjective to describe a noun based on its monetary value, age, or sometimes quantity. It follows the structure: [Number + Counter Word] + -짜리 + [Noun].
1. Indicating Price/Value:
This is the most common usage. It's attached to a monetary amount to describe an item with that price tag.
- 천 원 (1,000 won) + -짜리 → 천 원짜리 (a 1,000 won thing)
- 만 원 (10,000 won) + -짜리 → 만 원짜리 (a 10,000 won thing)
For example: 만 원짜리 티셔츠 means "a t-shirt that costs 10,000 won."
2. Indicating Age:
It can be used with age, especially for young children or animals.
- 다섯 살 (five years old) + -짜리 → 다섯 살짜리 (a five-year-old)
For example: 다섯 살짜리 아이 means "a five-year-old child."
3. Indicating Quantity/Capacity:
Less common, but it can also describe something by its capacity or the number of units it contains.
- 두 명 (two people) + -짜리 → 두 명짜리 (for two people)
For example: 두 명짜리 방 means "a room for two people."
Remember, -짜리 is a suffix, so it must be attached directly to the preceding word without a space (e.g., 천원짜리, NOT 천원 짜리).
Examples (5)
- 천 원짜리 김밥 한 줄 주세요.
Please give me one roll of 1,000 won kimbap.
Word by Word: 1,000 won-worth kimbap one roll please give.
- 이 가게에는 만 원짜리 옷이 많아요.
This store has a lot of clothes that cost 10,000 won.
Word by Word: This store-in 10,000 won-worth clothes are many.
- 제 동생은 다섯 살짜리 아이예요.
My younger sibling is a five-year-old child.
Word by Word: My younger sibling is a five year-old-worth child.
- 오만 원짜리를 냈는데 거스름돈이 없다고 하셨어요.
I paid with a 50,000 won bill, but they said they didn't have change.
Here, '오만 원짜리' refers to a '50,000 won bill' without explicitly saying the word for bill (지폐).
- 두 명짜리 방으로 예약했어요.
I booked a room for two people.
Word by Word: Two people-worth room-as booked.
Common Mistakes
Putting a space before -짜리.
Not Quite만 원 짜리 티셔츠를 샀어요.Better만 원짜리 티셔츠를 샀어요.-짜리 is a suffix, not an independent word. It must be attached directly to the preceding noun (the number/amount) without any space.
Confusing -짜리 (an item of a certain value) with -어치 (an amount's worth of something).
Different Meaning사과 만 원짜리 주세요.Better사과 만 원어치 주세요.'-짜리' describes a single item with a specific price tag (e.g., a 10,000 won t-shirt). '사과 만 원짜리' would imply you're asking for a single apple that costs 10,000 won. -어치 is used to request a quantity of something that adds up to a certain price. '사과 만 원어치' means '10,000 won worth of apples'.
Related Patterns
- -어치Worth of, Amount of
Contrast: While both relate to value, -짜리 describes a single item with a fixed price (e.g., 천 원짜리 펜 - a 1,000 won pen), whereas -어치 describes a quantity of goods equivalent to a certain value (e.g., 천 원어치 펜 - 1,000 won worth of pens).
- -당Per, For Each
Similar Function (Price/Rate): Both are used with numbers and prices. -당 indicates a rate ('per'), like '한 개당 천 원' (1,000 won per item). -짜리 then describes an item that has that price, like '천 원짜리 물건' (a 1,000 won item).
- -만Only, But Only
Often Used Together: The particle -만 (only) can be used to limit the scope. For example, '이 가게는 만 원짜리만 팔아요' means 'This store only sells 10,000 won items'.
- -ㄴ/은Adjective Noun Modifier
Functional Similarity: The phrase created with -짜리 (e.g., '천 원짜리') functions like an adjective to modify a noun, similar to how adjectives use the -ㄴ/은 ending. For example, '천 원짜리 펜' (a 1,000 won pen) is structurally similar to '좋은 펜' (a good pen).