Anastasia, letter by letter
Hangul is written in blocks. Each block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant at the bottom.
| Block | Letters | How each letter sounds | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
| 스 | ㅅ + ㅡ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | seu |
| 타 | ㅌ + ㅏ | ㅌ t ㅏ a, as in “father” | ta |
| 샤 | ㅅ + ㅑ | ㅅ s ㅑ ya | sya |
Why Anastasia is written this way
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 스. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Anastasia sounds like a-na-seu-ta-sya.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 아나스타샤 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 아나스타샤예요 (je ireumeun anaseutasyayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 아나스타샤 씨 or 아나스타샤 님.
Official documents such as your residence card use your name in English letters, as in your passport. The Hangul spelling is what friends, coworkers and baristas will write.