Lesson 4: How to Introduce Yourself in Korean - Name, Nationality, and Occupation

Welcome to Lesson 4! In this lesson, you'll learn how to introduce yourself in Korean. This is an essential skill for making new friends, meeting colleagues, or simply practicing your language skills. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to confidently say your name, nationality, and occupation in a basic conversation. We’ve also included over 50 example sentences to help you practice.

1. Introducing Your Name in Korean

• 제 이름은 [Name]입니다. (Je ireumeun [Name] imnida.) - My name is [Name].

  • Example: 제 이름은 사라입니다. (Je ireumeun Sara imnida.) - My name is Sarah.

• 저는 [Name]이에요. (Jeoneun [Name] ieyo.) - I am [Name]. (Used when the name ends in a consonant)

  • Example: 저는 민수이에요. (Jeoneun Minsu ieyo.) - I am Minsu.

• 저는 [Name]예요. (Jeoneun [Name] yeyo.) - I am [Name]. (Used when the name ends in a vowel)

  • Example: 저는 지수예요. (Jeoneun Jisoo yeyo.) - I am Jisoo.

• 내 이름은 [Name]이야. (Nae ireumeun [Name] iya.) - My name is [Name]. (Informal)

  • Example: 내 이름은 철수야. (Nae ireumeun Cheolsu ya.) - My name is Cheolsu.

• [Name]이라고 합니다. ([Name] irago hamnida.) - I’m called [Name]. (Formal)

  • Example: 마이클이라고 합니다. (Maikeul irago hamnida.) - I’m called Michael.

2. Stating Your Nationality in Korean

• 저는 [Country] 사람입니다. (Jeoneun [Country] saramimnida.) - I am from [Country].

  • Example: 저는 미국 사람입니다. (Jeoneun Miguk saramimnida.) - I am from the United States.

• 저는 [Country]에서 왔습니다. (Jeoneun [Country] eseo watseumnida.) - I came from [Country].

  • Example: 저는 프랑스에서 왔습니다. (Jeoneun Peurangseu eseo watseumnida.) - I came from France.

• 저는 [Country] 출신입니다. (Jeoneun [Country] chulsinimnida.) - I am from [Country]. (Used for formal settings)

  • Example: 저는 한국 출신입니다. (Jeoneun Hanguk chulsinimnida.) - I am from Korea.

• 저는 [Country]에서 태어났어요. (Jeoneun [Country] eseo taeeonasseoyo.) - I was born in [Country].

  • Example: 저는 일본에서 태어났어요. (Jeoneun Ilbon eseo taeeonasseoyo.) - I was born in Japan.

• 나는 [Country] 사람이야. (Naneun [Country] saramiya.) - I’m from [Country]. (Informal)

  • Example: 나는 독일 사람이야. (Naneun Dogil saramiya.) - I’m from Germany.

3. Describing Your Occupation in Korean

• 저는 [Occupation]입니다. (Jeoneun [Occupation] imnida.) - I am a [Occupation].

  • Example: 저는 선생님입니다. (Jeoneun seonsaengnimimnida.) - I am a teacher.

• 저는 [Occupation]이에요. (Jeoneun [Occupation] ieyo.) - I am a [Occupation]. (Used when the occupation ends in a consonant)

  • Example: 저는 간호사예요. (Jeoneun ganhosa ieyo.) - I am a nurse.

• 저는 [Occupation]예요. (Jeoneun [Occupation] yeyo.) - I am a [Occupation]. (Used when the occupation ends in a vowel)

  • Example: 저는 요리사예요. (Jeoneun yorisa yeyo.) - I am a chef.

• 제 직업은 [Occupation]입니다. (Je jigeobeun [Occupation] imnida.) - My occupation is [Occupation].

  • Example: 제 직업은 엔지니어입니다. (Je jigeobeun enjinieo imnida.) - My occupation is an engineer.

• 나는 [Occupation]이야. (Naneun [Occupation] iya.) - I’m a [Occupation]. (Informal)

  • Example: 나는 학생이야. (Naneun haksaeng iya.) - I’m a student.

4. Combining Name, Nationality, and Occupation

• 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 제임스입니다. 저는 미국 사람이고, 엔지니어입니다. (Annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun Jeimseu imnida. Jeoneun Miguk saramigo, enjinieo imnida.) - Hello, my name is James. I am from the United States, and I am an engineer.

• 안녕하세요, 저는 마리아예요. 저는 스페인에서 왔고, 디자이너예요. (Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Maria yeyo. Jeoneun Seupein eseo watgo, dijainoe yeyo.) - Hello, I’m Maria. I’m from Spain, and I’m a designer.

• 안녕하세요, 저는 박민수입니다. 저는 한국 사람이고, 의사입니다. (Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Park Minsu imnida. Jeoneun Hanguk saramigo, uisa imnida.) - Hello, I’m Park Minsu. I’m from Korea, and I’m a doctor.

• 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 엘리자베스입니다. 저는 영국 출신이고, 변호사입니다. (Annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun Elijabeuseu imnida. Jeoneun Yeongguk chulsinigo, byeonhosa imnida.) - Hello, my name is Elizabeth. I’m from the UK, and I’m a lawyer.

• 안녕하세요, 저는 제이슨이에요. 저는 캐나다에서 왔고, 학생이에요. (Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Jeiseun ieyo. Jeoneun Kaenada eseo watgo, haksaeng ieyo.) - Hello, I’m Jason. I’m from Canada, and I’m a student.

5. More Examples to Practice

• 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 리사입니다. 저는 호주 사람이고, 간호사입니다. (Annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun Lisa imnida. Jeoneun Hoju saramigo, ganhosa imnida.) - Hello, my name is Lisa. I am from Australia, and I am a nurse.

• 저는 존이에요. 미국에서 왔고, 회사원이에요. (Jeoneun Jon ieyo. Miguk eseo watgo, hoesawon ieyo.) - I am John. I’m from the United States, and I’m an office worker.

• 내 이름은 김수진이야. 나는 한국 사람이야, 그리고 선생님이야. (Nae ireumeun Kim Sujin iya. Naneun Hanguk saramiya, geurigo seonsaengnim iya.) - My name is Kim Sujin. I’m Korean, and I’m a teacher.

• 제 이름은 알렉스입니다. 저는 독일 출신이고, 연구원입니다. (Je ireumeun Allekseu imnida. Jeoneun Dogil chulsinigo, yeonguwon imnida.) - My name is Alex. I’m from Germany, and I’m a researcher.

• 저는 타카시예요. 일본에서 왔고, 엔지니어예요. (Jeoneun Takashi yeyo. Ilbon eseo watgo, enjinieo yeyo.) - I am Takashi. I’m from Japan, and I’m an engineer.

• 제 이름은 엠마입니다. 저는 프랑스 사람이고, 화가입니다. (Je ireumeun Emma imnida. Jeoneun Peurangseu saramigo, hwaga imnida.) - My name is Emma. I’m from France, and I’m a painter.

• 저는 제니예요. 캐나다에서 왔고, 작가예요. (Jeoneun Jeni yeyo. Kaenada eseo watgo, jakga yeyo.) - I am Jenny. I’m from Canada, and I’m a writer.

• 내 이름은 박지훈이야. 나는 한국 사람이야, 그리고 요리사야. (Nae ireumeun Park Jihoon iya. Naneun Hanguk saramiya, geurigo yorisa ya.) - My name is Park Jihoon. I’m Korean, and I’m a chef.

• 제 이름은 이사벨입니다. 저는 스페인 출신이고, 번역가입니다. (Je ireumeun Isabel imnida. Jeoneun Seupein chulsinigo, beonyeokga imnida.) - My name is Isabel. I’m from Spain, and I’m a translator.

• 저는 데이빗이에요. 미국에서 왔고, 학생이에요. (Jeoneun Deibit ieyo. Miguk eseo watgo, haksaeng ieyo.) - I am David. I’m from the United States, and I’m a student.

Conclusion

Introducing yourself in Korean is a key step in any conversation. By learning how to say your name, nationality, and occupation, you can make meaningful connections and show respect for Korean culture. Practice the examples provided, and soon you'll be confidently introducing yourself in Korean.

For more lessons and tips on learning Korean, stay tuned to our blog. Happy studying!