Korean: Introduce a Friend with 'This is my friend Sam'
Learn to introduce someone else in Korean using 제 친구 and 이에요/예요. Build a simple sentence to present a friend by name, and understand how it differs from introducing yourself.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Introducing yourself in Korean is one skill, but introducing someone else is another. In this lesson, you will learn how to say 'This is my friend Sam' in Korean. You will use the phrase 제 친구 (je chingu) meaning 'my friend', and the polite copula 이에요/예요 (i-e-yo/ye-yo) meaning 'is/am/are'. You will also learn how to add a detail, such as where Sam is from or that Sam is a student. By the end, you will be able to present a friend naturally in a polite conversation.
By the end, you can…
- introduce a friend by name using 제 친구 and 이에요/예요.
- add a simple detail about my friend, such as nationality or occupation.
- distinguish between introducing myself and introducing someone else.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
제 친구 샘이에요.
This is my friend Sam.
je chingu Saem-i-e-yo
Use this to introduce a friend named Sam. 샘 is the Korean spelling of Sam; 이에요 attaches because 샘 ends in a consonant.
제 친구는 샘이에요.
My friend is Sam.
je chingu-neun Saem-i-e-yo
The topic particle 는 highlights 'my friend' as the topic. This is slightly more explicit than the previous phrase.
샘은 학생이에요.
Sam is a student.
Saem-eun hak-saeng-i-e-yo
Add a detail about Sam. Here, 학생 means 'student', and 이에요 is used because 학생 ends in a consonant.
샘은 미국 사람이에요.
Sam is American.
Saem-eun Mi-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo
Use this to state nationality. 미국 means 'USA', 사람 means 'person', so literally 'USA person'.
만나서 반가워요.
Nice to meet you.
man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo
Say this when your friend meets someone new. It is polite and appropriate for most situations.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 제 친구 + [name] + 이에요/예요. Use 이에요 if the name ends in a consonant, and 예요 if it ends in a vowel. For example, 샘 ends in ㅁ (consonant), so you say 샘이에요. If your friend's name is 지민 (Jimin), which ends in ㄴ (consonant), you say 지민이에요. If the name ends in a vowel, like 수아 (Sua), you say 수아예요. To add a detail, use a separate sentence: 샘은 학생이에요. (Sam is a student.) Note that the pronunciation of 샘 is Saem, not Sae-mi; the 이 in 샘이에요 belongs to the copula 이에요, not to the name.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you are with someone and want to introduce them to another person. For example, if you meet a Korean friend and you have brought your friend Sam, you can say: 제 친구 샘이에요. Then you can add: 샘은 미국 사람이에요. (Sam is American.) This is different from introducing yourself, where you would say 저는 샘이에요. (I am Sam.) Notice that 제 친구 means 'my friend', and the topic particle 은/는 can mark the friend as the topic when you add details.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요, 제 친구 샘이에요.
Hello, this is my friend Sam.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, je chingu Saem-i-e-yo안녕하세요, 샘. 만나서 반가워요.
Hello, Sam. Nice to meet you.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, Saem. man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo샘은 미국 사람이에요.
Sam is American.Saem-eun Mi-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo아, 그래요? 저는 한국 사람이에요.
Oh, really? I am Korean.a, geu-rae-yo? jeo-neun Han-guk sa-ram-i-e-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean, introducing a friend often includes a brief detail like nationality or occupation to help the other person understand the context. It is polite to use the honorific polite style (-요) with people you do not know well. When introducing a close friend to someone older or of higher status, you might use more formal language, but the phrases here are safe for most everyday situations.
One thing to watch for
Saying 저는 친구 샘이에요 to mean 'This is my friend Sam.'
Try this instead: 저는 means 'I am', so 저는 친구 샘이에요 means 'I am friend Sam', which is incorrect. To introduce someone else, use 제 친구 샘이에요. (This is my friend Sam.) The possessive 제 means 'my', and the topic is the friend, not you.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you introduce your friend Mina (미나) in Korean?
Show a sample answer
제 친구 미나예요.
미나 ends in a vowel (ㅏ), so you use 예요. 제 친구 means 'my friend'. This is the standard polite way to introduce a friend.
2Add a detail: 'Mina is a student.' in Korean.
Show a sample answer
미나는 학생이에요.
Use the topic particle 는 after 미나 to mark her as the topic. 학생 ends in a consonant, so 이에요 is correct. You could also say 미나 씨는 학생이에요 if you want to be slightly more polite.
3What is the difference between 저는 샘이에요 and 제 친구 샘이에요?
Show a sample answer
저는 샘이에요 means 'I am Sam.' 제 친구 샘이에요 means 'This is my friend Sam.'
저는 means 'I' with topic particle, so it introduces yourself. 제 친구 means 'my friend', so it introduces someone else. The copula 이에요 stays the same.
To introduce a friend in Korean, say 제 친구 + [name] + 이에요/예요. Add details like nationality or occupation with a separate sentence using 은/는. Remember: 저는 introduces you, 제 친구 introduces someone else.
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