How to Introduce Yourself in Korean: Basic Greetings (Basic Korean Conversation Ch.1)
- Lee Serene
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
How to Introduce Yourself in Korean: Basic Greetings
Are you traveling to Korea soon or starting your journey to learn Korean? The very first thing you need to know is how to say hello and introduce yourself.
In this beginner guide, you will learn the most essential Korean greetings, how to ask for someone's name, and the natural pronunciation rules that native speakers use.
Let's master the basic Korean conversation for beginners!
Mini Dialogue: First Time Meeting Someone
Let’s look at a practical conversation between Suna and Alex. They are meeting for the first time. Read the Korean sentences, check the natural pronunciation, and see what they mean in English.
Suna: 안녕하세요. 처음 뵙겠습니다.
[an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. cheo-eum bwep-get-sseum-ni-da]
Hello. How do you do? (Nice to meet you.)
Alex: 네, 안녕하세요. 만나서 반갑습니다.
[ne, an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. man-na-seo ban-gap-sseum-ni-da]
Yes, hello. Nice to meet you.
Suna: 성함이 어떻게 되세요?
[seong-ha-mi eo-tteo-ke doe-se-yo]
What is your name? (Polite/Honorific form)
Alex: 저는 알렉스예요.
[jeo-neun al-lek-seu-ye-yo]
I am Alex.
Suna: 알렉스 씨, 저는 수나예요. 반가워요.
[al-lek-seu ssi, jeo-neun su-na-ye-yo. ban-ga-wo-yo]
Alex, I am Suna. Nice to meet you.
Alex: 네, 수나 씨. 저도 반가워요.
[ne, su-na ssi. jeo-do ban-ga-wo-yo]
Yes, Suna. Nice to meet you too.
Essential Korean Vocabulary
Before we jump into the grammar, let’s review the key words from the dialogue.
안녕하세요 [an-nyeong-ha-se-yo] : Hello
처음 뵙겠습니다 [cheo-eum bwep-get-sseum-ni-da] : How do you do? (Formal greeting for the first meeting)
성함 [seong-ham] : Name (Honorific form of 이름)
어떻게 되세요? [eo-tteo-ke doe-se-yo] : What is...? / How is...? (Polite way to ask for personal information)
저 [jeo] : I, me (Polite form)
씨 [ssi] : Mr. / Ms. (Attached after a name to show respect)
반가워요 [ban-ga-wo-yo] : Nice to meet you / Glad to see you
저도 [jeo-do] : Me too
Core Grammar & Pattern Practice
To introduce yourself in Korean, you only need to know two simple grammar rules!
Grammar 1: Noun + 은/는 (Topic Particle)
In Korean, we use particles to indicate the role of a word in a sentence. 은 (eun) and 는 (neun) are topic particles. They are placed right after a noun to show what you are talking about.
If the noun ends with a consonant: use 은
If the noun ends with a vowel: use 는 (ex: 저 + 는 = 저는 -> As for me / I)
Pattern Practice: Try changing the words!
1. 저는 학생이에요. [jeo-neun hak-ssaeng-i-e-yo] I am a student.
2. 제이슨은 미국 사람이에요. [je-i-seu-neun mi-guk sa-ra-mi-e-yo] Jason is American.
3. 마리아는 의사예요. [ma-ri-a-neun ui-sa-ye-yo] Maria is a doctor.
Grammar 2: Noun + 이에요 / 예요 (I am / It is)
This is the Korean "to be" verb used to identify yourself, someone's nationality, or a job.
If the noun ends with a consonant: use -이에요
If the noun ends with a vowel: use -예요
Pattern Practice: Let's practice saying your name!
1. 저는 수나예요. [jeo-neun su-na-ye-yo] I am Suna. (Suna ends in a vowel 'a' -> 예요)
2. 저는 마이클이에요. [jeo-neun ma-i-keu-ri-e-yo] I am Michael. (Michael ends in a consonant 'l' -> 이에요)
3. 저는 선생님이에요. [jeo-neun seon-saeng-ni-mi-e-yo] I am a teacher.
Suna's Pronunciation Point: The Magic of Liaison
Have you noticed something special about the pronunciation in the dialogue and pattern practice? When a Korean word ends with a consonant and the next syllable starts with a vowel (like 이, 예, or 에), the consonant sound moves over to the vowel! This is called Liaison (연음), and it is the secret to sounding like a true native Korean speaker.
성함이 (Name + Subject Particle)
Written: seong-ham-i
Actual Pronunciation: [성하미 / seong-ha-mi] (The 'm' sound moves to 'i')
사람이에요 (I am a person)
Written: sa-ram-i-e-yo
Actual Pronunciation: [사라미에요 / sa-ra-mi-e-yo] (The 'm' sound moves to 'i')
Try reading them out loud naturally without stopping between the syllables!
Ready to Master Real-Life Korean?
Today, you learned how to say hello and introduce yourself in Korean. But reading a blog post is just the beginning! I have two great options to help you level up your Korean speaking skills:
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