Andy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 앤 | ㅇ + ㅐ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” ㄴ n at the end | aen |
| 디 | ㄷ + ㅣ | ㄷ d ㅣ i, as in “see” | di |
Why Andy is written this way
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 앤.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Andy sounds like aen-di.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 앤디 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 앤디예요 (je ireumeun aendiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 앤디 씨 or 앤디 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.