안녕하세요! How to do a self-introduction in Korean？자기소개
Self-introduction is the first step to meeting new friends. The most basic components are greetings, small-talk, and a brief introduction of some basic information about yourself. You can also choose to add in some more personalized details. The goal is to impress the other person, but still being polite. By the end of this article, you will be able to introduce yourself to native Korean speakers, or even have an introductory conversation with them. Let’s start!
Greetings:
안녕하세요 / 안녕하십니까? (formal）= Hello
처음 뵙겠습니다 = Nice to meet you for the first time
만나서 반갑습니다 = Nice to meet you
잘 부탁드립니다 = Please take good care of me
These four sentences are like a set of greeting phrases that are often used together in this order.
Basic Information:
Name:
이름이 뭐예요? / 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (more polite)= What is your name？
*저는 ㅇㅇㅇ(이)라고 해요. = This is XX.
저는 ㅇㅇㅇ이에요/예요** = I am XX.
제 이름은 ㅇㅇㅇ이에요/예요 = My name is XX.
Examples:
저는 김태형이라고 해요. / 저는 김태형이에요. / 제 이름은 김태형이에요.
*저는 can be omitted. In Korean, the subjects are often omitted in sentences with obvious subjects, or even when subjects can be easily inferred from the context.
**If there is a consonant at the end of the syllable of your name, use 이라고 and 이에요. If not, use 라고 and 예요. *Click to learn more.
Age:
몇 살이세요? = How old are you？
저는ㅇㅇ살이에요. = I am XX years old.
Example: 저는 스물여섯살이에요. / 저는 스물여섯이요. = I am 26 years old.
*Click to learn more about Korean numbers.
Nationality:
어디에서왔어요？= Where are you from?
저는 ㅇㅇ 사람이에요. = I am XX (nationality).
저는 ㅇㅇ에서 왔어요. = I am from XX (country).
Examples：
저는 미국 사람이에요. = I am American.
저는 미국에서 왔어요. = I came from the United States.
List of country names：
미국 = United States
캐나다 = Canada
호주 = Australia
유럽 = Europe
영국 = England
남미 = South Africa
Additional Information:
Occupation:
직업이 뭐예요? = What do you do for a living?
If you are a student, you can say…
저는 대학생이에요. = I am a university student.
제 전공은 ㅇㅇ이에요/예요. = My major is XX.
Example: 제 전공은 경영학이에요. = My major is Business Administration.
If you work a 9–5, you can say…
저는 회사원이에요. = I work a 9–5.
저는 ㅇㅇ 회사에서 일하고 있어요. = I’m working in XX (company name).
Where do you live?:
어디에서 살고 있어요? = Where do you live now?
저는 ㅇㅇ에서 살고 있어요. = I live in XX (area/place).
Example: 저는 강남에서 살고 있어요. = I live in Gangnam.
Hobbies:
취미가 뭐예요? = What is your hobby?
제 취미는 ㅇㅇ예요. = My hobby is XX.
ㅇㅇ을/를좋아해요. = I love XX (activity).
Example: 제 취미는 드라마 보기예요. = My hobby is watching dramas.
You can also express it this way: 한국 드라마를 자주 봐요. = I watch K-dramas frequently.
List of some common hobbies:
운동 = Exercise
여행 = Travel
독서 / 책 읽기 = Read
림 그리기 = Draw
음악듣기 = Listen to music
노래부르기 = Sing
영화 보기 = Watch movie
쇼핑 = Go shopping
맛있는 것을 먹기 = Eat good food
요리 = Cook
친구랑 수다 떨기 = Chat with friends
Putting all of the elements above together, we will have a self-introduction like the following:
안녕하세요. 처음 뵙겠습니다. 김태형이라고 해요. 스물여섯살이에요. 한국 사람이에요. 회사원이에요. 서울에서 살고 있어요. 제 취미는 음악 듣기예요. 영화도 자주 봐요. 만나서 반갑습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다.
Hello. Nice to meet you. This is Taehyung Kim. I am twenty-six years old. I’m Korean. I work a 9–5. I live in Seoul. My hobby is listening to music. I also watch a lot of movies. Nice to meet you. Please take good care of me.
I know this sounds generic and very much like the ones that you read in a textbook, but it is a very simple example with all of the important details intact. Try putting together your own self-introduction in Korean using the elements mentioned in this article!
