How to Say Your Name and Basic Information Politely in Korean
Learn to introduce yourself in Korean with formal and informal endings, say your name, nationality, and occupation, and respond politely when someone introduces themselves.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Introducing yourself is one of the first real conversations you will have in Korean, and the ending you choose matters. Korean has distinct polite and casual styles, so the same idea can sound respectful to a stranger or friendly to a close friend. In this lesson you will learn how to state your name, nationality, and occupation, and how to respond when someone introduces themselves to you. You will practice the polite formal style used with strangers and older people, and the casual style used with close friends of similar age.
By the end, you can…
- state my name politely in Korean using formal and casual styles.
- say my nationality and occupation in a simple Korean sentence.
- respond appropriately when someone introduces themselves to me.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
안녕하세요. 제 이름은 민수예요.
Hello. My name is Minsu.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. je i-reu-meun min-su-ye-yo.
Polite everyday style. Use 제 (je) for 'my' when speaking politely, and attach 예요 (ye-yo) after a vowel-ending name.
저는 미국 사람이에요.
I am American.
jeo-neun mi-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo.
Polite style. 저는 (jeo-neun) is the humble polite word for 'I' plus the topic marker. Replace 미국 (mi-guk) with your country.
저는 학생이에요.
I am a student.
jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo.
Polite style. Use 이에요 (i-e-yo) after a consonant-ending noun like 학생 (hak-saeng).
만나서 반가워요.
Nice to meet you.
man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo.
Polite style, safe with strangers and acquaintances. Say it right after hearing or giving a name.
나도 만나서 반가워.
Nice to meet you too.
na-do man-na-seo ban-ga-wo.
Casual style used with close friends of similar age. 나 (na) is the casual word for 'I', and the ending drops 요 (yo).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 저는 + information + 이에요/예요. 저는 (jeo-neun) means 'as for me' in polite speech, and the final ending changes with the last sound of the noun. If the noun ends in a consonant, use 이에요 (i-e-yo): 저는 학생이에요 (jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo). If it ends in a vowel, use 예요 (ye-yo): 제 이름은 민수예요 (je i-reu-meun min-su-ye-yo). For nationality, the pattern is country + 사람 (sa-ram, 'person'): 미국 사람이에요 (mi-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo).
When to use it
Use the polite style with 이에요/예요 and 저는 when you meet a stranger, someone older, a teacher, or anyone in a formal setting. Use the casual style with 나는 (na-neun) and plain endings only with close friends of similar age or younger people you know well. For example, a polite self-introduction is 저는 회사원이에요 (jeo-neun hoe-sa-won-i-e-yo, 'I am an office worker'), while a casual one is 나는 회사원이야 (na-neun hoe-sa-won-i-ya). When in doubt, stay polite; it is rarely wrong.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 제 이름은 지민이에요.
Hello. My name is Jimin.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. je i-reu-meun ji-min-i-e-yo.안녕하세요. 저는 수진이에요. 만나서 반가워요.
Hello. I am Sujin. Nice to meet you.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. jeo-neun su-jin-i-e-yo. man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo.저는 캐나다 사람이에요. 저는 학생이에요.
I am Canadian. I am a student.jeo-neun kae-na-da sa-ram-i-e-yo. jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo.아, 그래요? 저도 학생이에요.
Oh, really? I am a student too.a, geu-rae-yo? jeo-do hak-saeng-i-e-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean politeness is built into verb endings, not just word choice. Using the polite 이에요/예요 style with a stranger is normal and respectful, while casual endings can sound rude if used too early. Age and familiarity strongly affect which style feels right, so many learners stay polite until the other person suggests speaking casually.
One thing to watch for
Using 나는 (na-neun) and casual endings like 이야 (i-ya) with someone you just met.
Try this instead: With strangers or older people, use 저는 (jeo-neun) and 이에요/예요. Say 저는 학생이에요 (jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo), not 나는 학생이야 (na-neun hak-saeng-i-ya).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely say 'I am a teacher' in Korean?
Show a sample answer
저는 선생님이에요. (jeo-neun seon-saeng-nim-i-e-yo.)
저는 is the polite 'as for me', and 선생님 ends in a consonant, so 이에요 is correct. 저는 교사예요 (jeo-neun gyo-sa-ye-yo) is also acceptable with a different word for teacher.
2Someone says 안녕하세요. 제 이름은 민수예요. What is a polite response?
Show a sample answer
안녕하세요. 저는 수진이에요. 만나서 반가워요.
You greet back, give your own name with 저는 and 예요, and add 만나서 반가워요. Any polite name introduction works here.
3Which ending follows a vowel-ending name, 이에요 or 예요?
Show a sample answer
예요 (ye-yo).
Names ending in a vowel take 예요, as in 민아예요 (min-a-ye-yo). Names ending in a consonant take 이에요, as in 지민이에요 (ji-min-i-e-yo) and 수진이에요 (su-jin-i-e-yo).
Learn one polite introduction well: 저는 + name/nationality/occupation + 이에요/예요, then add 만나서 반가워요. Stay polite with new people and switch to casual endings only when the other person invites it.
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