How to Ask "Where Are You From?" in Korean: Nationalities & Jobs (Ch. 2)
- Lee Serene
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
How to Ask "Where Are You From?" in Korean: Nationalities & Jobs
Welcome to Chapter 2 of our Basic Korean Conversation series! Now that you know how to say hello and introduce your name, what is the next step?
When you make new Korean friends, they will naturally want to know more about you. Today, we will learn the most essential questions for a first meeting: asking about someone's nationality and their job.
Let's dive in!
Mini Dialogue: Getting to Know Each Other
Let’s look at a practical conversation between Suna and Alex. Read the Korean sentences, check the natural pronunciation, and see what they mean in English.
Suna: 알렉스 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요?
[al-lek-seu ssi-neun eo-neu na-ra sa-ra-mi-e-yo]
Alex, which country are you from?
Alex: 저는 미국 사람이에요. 수나 씨는요?
[jeo-neun mi-guk sa-ra-mi-e-yo. su-na ssi-neun-yo]
I am American. How about you, Suna?
Suna: 저는 한국 사람이에요.
[jeo-neun han-guk sa-ra-mi-e-yo]
I am Korean.
Suna: 직업이 뭐예요?
[ji-geo-bi mwo-ye-yo]
What is your job?
Alex: 저는 영어 선생님이에요.
[jeo-neun yeong-eo seon-saeng-ni-mi-e-yo]
I am an English teacher.
Suna: 아, 그렇군요! 저는 학생이에요.
[a, geu-reo-kun-yo! jeo-neun hak-ssaeng-i-e-yo]
Ah, I see! I am a student.
Essential Korean Vocabulary
Before we jump into the grammar, let’s review the key words from the dialogue.
어느 나라 [eo-neu na-ra] : Which country
사람 [sa-ram] : Person
미국 [mi-guk] : USA
한국 [han-guk] : Korea
직업 [ji-geop] : Job / Occupation
뭐예요? [mwo-ye-yo] : What is it?
선생님 [seon-saeng-nim] : Teacher
학생 [hak-ssaeng] : Student
그렇군요 [geu-reo-kun-yo] : I see / Aha
Learn more vocabulary :
Core Grammar & Pattern Practice
Let's apply the basic grammar rules we learned in Chapter 1 to talk about countries and jobs.
Grammar 1: Country + 사람 + 이에요 / 예요 (Nationality)
To say your nationality in Korean, simply take the name of your country and add "사람" (person), followed by the "to be" verb (이에요/예요).
Since "사람" ends with a consonant (ㅁ), we always use 이에요.
Pattern Practice: Try changing the country!
저는 영국 사람이에요.
[jeo-neun yeong-guk sa-ra-mi-e-yo]
I am British (UK person).
저는 호주 사람이에요.
[jeo-neun ho-ju sa-ra-mi-e-yo]
I am Australian.
저는 캐나다 사람이에요.
[jeo-neun kae-na-da sa-ra-mi-e-yo]
I am Canadian.
Grammar 2: Job + 이에요 / 예요 (Occupation)
You can use the exact same structure to talk about your job.
If the job ends with a consonant: use -이에요
If the job ends with a vowel: use -예요
Pattern Practice: Let's practice saying your job!
저는 의사예요.
[jeo-neun ui-sa-ye-yo]
I am a doctor. (의사 ends in a vowel -> 예요)
저는 회사원이에요.
[jeo-neun hoe-sa-wo-ni-e-yo]
I am an office worker. (회사원 ends in a consonant -> 이에요)
저는 요리사예요.
[jeo-neun yo-ri-sa-ye-yo]
I am a chef.
Suna's Pronunciation Point: The Magic of Liaison
Let's review the Liaison (연음) rule from Chapter 1. When a consonant meets a vowel in the next block, the sound moves over. This is very important when asking and answering about jobs!
직업이 (Job + Subject Particle)
Written: jik-eop-i Actual Pronunciation:
[지거비 / ji-geo-bi] (The 'p/b' sound moves to 'i')
회사원이에요 (I am an office worker)
Written: hoe-sa-won-i-e-yo
Actual Pronunciation: [회사워니에요 / hoe-sa-wo-ni-e-yo] (The 'n' 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 ask "Where Are You From?" in Korean : Nationalities & Jobs. 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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