Welcome back to Simply Korea 101!

In Chapter 1, we learned how to say hello and goodbye in Korean.

Now that you know how to greet someone, what’s next?

It’s time to introduce yourself! 🙋

Today, we’ll learn 5 simple Korean expressions that you can use when introducing yourself.

🙋 1. 저는 ___예요. — I’m ___.

Pronunciation: jeoneun ___-yeyo

English: I’m ___ / My name is ___

This is one of the most useful Korean sentence patterns for beginners.

Simply put your name in the blank.

저는 Ayla예요.

→ I’m Ayla.

저는 Emma예요.

→ I’m Emma.

저는 Daniel이에요.

→ I’m Daniel.

💡 Tip:

If the name ends with a consonant sound, 이에요 is generally used.

If it ends with a vowel sound, 예요 is generally used.

👤 2. 이름이 뭐예요? — What’s your name?

이름이 뭐예요?

Pronunciation: ireumi mwoyeyo?

English: What’s your name?

This is a natural and polite way to ask someone’s name.

You can use it when meeting someone for the first time.

Example

A: 이름이 뭐예요?

→ What’s your name?

B: 저는 Ayla예요.

→ I’m Ayla.

🌍 3. 저는 ___에서 왔어요. — I’m from ___.

저는 ___에서 왔어요.

Pronunciation: jeoneun ___-eseo wasseoyo

English: I’m from ___ / I came from ___

Use this expression to tell someone where you’re from.

Examples

저는 미국에서 왔어요.

→ I’m from the United States.

저는 영국에서 왔어요.

→ I’m from the United Kingdom.

저는 일본에서 왔어요.

→ I’m from Japan.

You can also use a city:

저는 뉴욕에서 왔어요.

→ I’m from New York.

4. 저는 한국어를 공부해요. — I study Korean.

저는 한국어를 공부해요.

Pronunciation: jeoneun hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo

English: I study Korean.

→ 저는 한국어를 공부해요.

This is a great sentence for anyone learning Korean!

You can change 한국어 to another subject.

저는 영어를 공부해요.

→ I study English.

저는 일본어를 공부해요.

→ I study Japanese.

😊 5. 만나서 반가워요. — Nice to meet you.

만나서 반가워요.

Pronunciation: mannaseo bangawoyo

English: Nice to meet you.

→ 만나서 반가워요.

Use this when meeting someone for the first time.

It is polite, warm, and very common.

You can also say:

저도 반가워요.

→ Nice to meet you, too.

💬 Let’s Put It All Together

이제 자기소개를 완성해볼까요?

A: 안녕하세요!

→ Hello!

B: 안녕하세요!

→ Hello!

A: 이름이 뭐예요?

→ What’s your name?

B: 저는 Emma예요.

→ I’m Emma.

A: 어느 나라에서 왔어요?

→ Where are you from?

B: 저는 미국에서 왔어요.

→ I’m from the United States.

A: 한국어를 공부해요?

→ Do you study Korean?

B: 네, 한국어를 공부해요.

→ Yes, I study Korean.

A: 만나서 반가워요!

→ Nice to meet you!

B: 저도 반가워요!

→ Nice to meet you, too!

🗣️ Read Aloud & Repeat

→ 소리 내어 읽고 따라 해보세요.

저는 Ayla예요.

I’m Ayla.

이름이 뭐예요?

What’s your name?

저는 미국에서 왔어요.

I’m from the United States.

저는 한국어를 공부해요.

I study Korean.

만나서 반가워요.

Nice to meet you.

Try saying each sentence three times.

Don’t worry about making it perfect.

Just speak out loud and get comfortable with the sounds.

Korean Tip: 저는

You will see 저는 again and again in Korean.

저 means “I” in a polite way.

는 marks the topic of the sentence.

For now, you don’t need to memorize the grammar rule.

Just remember:

저는 = As for me / I…

Once you learn this pattern, you can make many simple Korean sentences.

🎯 Today’s Korean Challenge

Can you introduce yourself in Korean?

Try using this pattern:

안녕하세요.

저는 ______예요.

저는 ______에서 왔어요.

저는 한국어를 공부해요.

만나서 반가워요.

Example:

안녕하세요. 저는 Ayla예요.

저는 ______에서 왔어요.

저는 한국어를 공부해요.

만나서 반가워요!

→ Hello. I’m Ayla.

I’m from ______.

I study Korean.

Nice to meet you!

🎉 You just introduced yourself in Korean!

🌸 A Little More Korean Every Day

Learning Korean doesn’t have to be difficult.

Start with one sentence.

Say it.

Repeat it.

And use it in a real conversation when you get the chance.

That’s how Korean becomes part of your everyday life.

See You in Chapter 3!

In Chapter 3, we’ll learn another set of simple Korean expressions that you can use in everyday situations.

Keep practicing, one phrase at a time.

See you in Chapter 3! 

— Ayla

Let’s discover Korea, one word, one dish, and one story at a time.