| HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN KOREAN |
- Noraini Azaha (Bella Lee)
- Jan 22
- 5 min read
When you meet a new Korean person, knowing how to introduce yourself in Korean is very helpful! In this way, you can easily introduce yourself and start communicating with the locals.
How you’ll introduce yourself in the Korean language will vary based on the situation, we can get you started on the basics. Add to these based on your situation. Let’s get started!
Below is a free PDF guide that you can download and take with you:
Things to know when meeting new people in Korea
It’s good to go over a couple of points on the manners and culture in Korea first. This is extremely important if you’re in South Korea. After you’ve learned them, we’ll get started on how to introduce yourself in Korean! These situations are also often portrayed on television, so you can see this in Korean drama.
1. Greet them by saying 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo).
Before anything else, greet them by saying 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). It is important in Korean culture to be polite and show respect toward others. First impressions are everything.
2. Bow as you greet them.
This is a sign of respect and politeness. If you’re already acquainted, then just a head nod should do.
3. If you shake hands, use your right hand or both hands.
When you shake hands, use your right hand or both hands. You can show more respect by bowing and touching your left hand to your right or grabbing your stomach with your left hand.
4. Address them by their title or family name.
Koreans do not refer to each other by their first name unless they are close friends, and even then, they often go by “언니 (eonni),” “오빠 (oppa)” and so on.
When you are meeting a new person, use their title or family name unless they say otherwise.
How to introduce yourself in Korean
Now that we’ve gone through the important things to know when meeting a new friend in South Korea, let’s proceed with learning self-introduction in Korean. We will teach basic greetings, how to state your age and where you’re from your job, and the usual conversations people have when meeting for the first time.
You’ll also get to learn more about Korean grammar and more Korean words. When you greet people in Korean, they are likely to talk to you in Korean, and a Korean self-introduction script might come in handy!
You might know how to speak Korean, but if you don’t know how to read the Korean Alphabet, you can learn it here in about 1 hour.
Basic Greetings in Korean
As you learn Korean, how to greet someone is one of the first things that you’ll know, whether it’s from recognizing phrases in a Korean drama or as part of general language learning. The Korean phrases below are essential in introducing yourself in Korean and teaching the basics of what you can use, whether the standard or formal form or way to say them.
“Hello” in Korean
The most common way to greet someone you’ve met for the first time is by saying “hello.” Below is how you can say it in a standard way.
The article on how to say “hello” in Korean shows different ways to say this greeting.
Standard
안녕하세요
(annyeonghaseyo)
Hello.
“Nice to meet you” in Korean
When meeting someone for the first time, you can say, “It’s nice to meet you.” You can say it in a standard or a formal way.
Formal
처음 뵙겠습니다
(cheoeum boepgetseumnida)
It’s nice to meet you!
Standard
만나서 반갑습니다
(mannaseo bangapseumnida)
It’s nice to meet you!
Your self-introduction in Korean
When introducing yourself to someone, you can simply state your name following the sample sentence below. The example shown can be used in formal situations.
Formal
제 이름은 벨라 입니다.
(je ireumeun Bella imnida)
My name is Bella.
Introducing Your Age in Korean
Age makes a big difference in your interactions in Korea. You want to use a more formal version and polite language in introductions for people of a higher social position (your boss, your elders, etc.). You can use standard versions of the Korean language when you introduce yourself in Korean to those who are the same age or younger than you.
Formal
저는 스물네 살입니다
(jeoneun seumulle sarimnida)
I’m 24 years old.
Standard
저는 스물네 살이에요
(jeoneun seumulle sarieyo)
I’m 24 years old.
As you tell others your age, it’s best if you’re familiar with Korean numbers, and you should use the native Korean Number System.
ENGLISH | KOREAN |
ONE | 하나 (hana) |
TWO | 둘 (dul) |
THREE | 셋 (set) |
FOUR | 넷 (net) |
FIVE | 다섯 (daseot) |
SIX | 여섯 (yeoseot) |
SEVEN | 일곱 (ilgop) |
EIGHT | 여덟 (yeodeol) |
NINE | 아홉 (ahop) |
TEN | 열 (yeol) |
Note that the Korean age is not the same as the international age. You can be up to two years older in Korean age.
Introducing Where You Are From in Korean
Something that will come up when you introduce yourself in Korean, your partner will probably want to know where you’re from.
Formal
저는 미국에서 왔습니다
(jeoneun migugeseo watseumnida)
I am from the U.S.
Standard
저는 미국에서 왔어요
(jeoneun migugeseo wasseoyo)
I am from the U.S.
Example Countries in Korean
You can fill in the blank with the country that applies to you. For more countries, you can check my post about how to say “country” in Korean.
ENGLISH | KOREAN |
United States | 미국 (miguk) |
Canada | 캐나다 (kaenada) |
United Kingdom | 영국 (yeongguk) |
Australia | 호주 (hoju) |
Thailand | 태국 (taeguk) |
Germany | 독일 (dogil) |
Introducing Your Occupation in Korean
Work is important in Korean culture, and it’s likely to come up when you introduce yourself in Korean, either during your self-introduction or as a question after you finish.
Formal
저는 학생입니다
(jeoneun haksaengimnida)
I am a student.
Standard
저는 모델이에요
(jeoneun moderieyo)
I am a model.
저는 가수예요
(jeoneun gasuyeyo)
I am a singer.
Example Occupations in Korean
Here are some examples of jobs and what they are called in Korean. You can use these with the sentences above to introduce yourself in Korean as well as to explain your occupation.
ENGLISH | KOREAN |
Student | 학생 (haksaeng) |
Teacher | 선생님 (seonsaengnim) |
Engineer | 엔지니어 (enjinieo) |
Part-Timer | 아르바이트생 (areubaiteusaeng) |
Web Developer | 웹 개발자 (wep gaebalja) |
Nurse | 간호사 (ganhosa) |
Singer | 가수 (gasu) |
Freelancer | 프리랜서 (peuriraenseo) |
Hairdresser | 미용사 (miyongsa) |
Salesperson | 영업사원 (yeongeopsawon) |
Clerk | 사무원 (samuwon) |
Model | 모델 (model) |
Conversation topics when introducing yourself in Korean
After you introduce yourself in Korean and finish with the basic questions South Koreans will ask, you might want to introduce some other topics to keep the conversation going. Here are some basic sentences you can use.
Formal
저는 학원에서 한국어를 배웠습니다
(jeoneun hagwoneseo hangugeoreul baewotseumnida)
I learned Korean at the academy.
Standard
저는 혼자서 한국어를 공부했어요
(jeoneun honjaseo hangugeoreul gongbuhaesseoyo)
I studied Korean by myself.
저는 친구에게서 한국어를 배웠어요
(jeoneun chinguegeseo hangugeoreul baewosseoyo)
I learned Korean from my friend.
Formal
저는 서울에서 살고 있습니다
(jeoneun seoureseo salgo itseumnida)
I live in Seoul.
Standard
저는 필리핀에서 살고 있어요
(jeoneun pillipineseo salgo isseoyo)
I live in the Philippines.
제 취미는 러닝이에요
(je chwimineun reoningieyo)
My hobby is running.
제 취미는 요리예요
(je chwimineun yoriyeyo)
My hobby is cooking.
독서는 제 취미 중 하나예요
(dokseoneun je chwimi jung hanayeyo)
Reading is one of my hobbies.
List of Hobbies in Korean
For more lists of hobbies and activities, you can check the separate article focused on hobbies in Korean.
ENGLISH | KOREAN |
Reading | 독서 (dokseo) |
Cooking | 요리 (yori) |
Hiking | 등산 (deungsan) |
Soccer | 축구 (chukgu) |
Basketball | 농구 (nonggu) |
Baseball | 야구 (yagu) |
Listening to Music | 음악 감상 (eumak gamsang) |
Running | 러닝 (reoning) or 달리기 (dalligi) |
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