A short exchange you can adapt
| Speaker | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 민수 | 안녕하세요. 저는 민수예요. | Hello. I’m Minsu. |
| 알렉스 | 안녕하세요. 저는 알렉스예요. | Hello. I’m Alex. |
| 민수 | 만나서 반가워요. | Nice to meet you. |
| 알렉스 | 저도 반가워요. 한국어를 공부해요. | Nice to meet you too. I study Korean. |
Read one role aloud, then switch roles. Keep the ending 요: it makes these sentences polite in everyday conversation. Romanization can help you get started, but practise reading the Hangul in the model. A Latin spelling cannot capture every Korean sound.
Put your own name into the pattern
저는 introduces “as for me.” 저 is a humble way to say “I”; 는 marks the topic. To say “I am [name],” attach 이에요 after a consonant ending and 예요 after a vowel ending. Check the final sound of the name as it is written in Hangul, rather than the final English letter.
| Name ending | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel | 저는 민수예요. | 수 ends in a vowel, so use 예요. |
| Consonant | 저는 수진이에요. | 진 ends in ㄴ, so use 이에요. |
Try replacing the name with a role: 저는 학생이에요. means “I am a student.” 학생 ends in a consonant. Avoid writing 학생예요. The more formal version 저는 학생입니다. is another valid pattern; learn it as a separate ending instead of mixing pieces of the two.
Names, titles, and the word “you”
English uses “you” constantly. Korean often leaves it out when the listener is clear. 당신 is not a general-purpose polite substitute for English “you”; its meaning and tone depend on the relationship and situation. You can ask 이름이 뭐예요? (“What is your name?”) without adding it. 성함이 어떻게 되세요? is a more respectful way to ask an adult’s name.
If someone introduces a title, use that title where appropriate. In your own introduction, give the information needed for the situation. A classroom exchange may need only a name; a workplace introduction may need a role. Polite endings are a good starting point, but they do not replace attention to how the other person addresses you.
Keep the conversation going when you get stuck
| Phrase | Meaning | Use it when… |
|---|---|---|
| 다시 말해 주세요. | Please say it again. | You missed the reply. |
| 천천히 말해 주세요. | Please speak slowly. | You need a slower pace. |
| 잘 모르겠어요. | I’m not sure / I don’t quite understand. | You want to signal uncertainty. |
| 한국어를 조금 해요. | I speak a little Korean. | You want to set expectations. |
Practise a repair phrase before you need it. If you miss one word, ask for a repeat rather than pretending you understood. “A little Korean” is a modest description of ability; it does not promise that you can understand every reply.
Choose a goodbye by who is leaving
When the other person leaves, say 안녕히 가세요. When you leave and the other person stays, say 안녕히 계세요. If both people leave, 안녕히 가세요. can be appropriate. Think about the listener’s movement, not whether you personally feel like the departing person.
Imagine leaving a small shop while the shopkeeper stays inside: your goodbye is 안녕히 계세요. If a guest leaves your home while you remain there, say 안녕히 가세요. The two expressions are easier to remember as these scenes than as interchangeable translations of “goodbye.”
Check the situation, not just the translation
Make it yours
Write a four-line exchange with your own name, one fact about yourself, and one repair phrase. Read it tomorrow without the model. There can be several natural versions; check your name ending and keep the polite style consistent.
Reference and next step
Look up 저, 이름, 반갑다, 안녕히 in National Institute of Korean Language: Korean–English Learners’ Dictionary for pronunciation and additional senses. The dialogue and exercises here are original learning examples. For more listening and response practice, open the dialogues lesson; for register choices, use speech levels.