Donald, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 도 | ㄷ + ㅗ | ㄷ d ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | do |
| 널 | ㄴ + ㅓ + ㄹ | ㄴ n ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㄹ l at the end | neol |
| 드 | ㄷ + ㅡ | ㄷ d ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | deu |
Why Donald 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: 드. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 널.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Donald sounds like do-neol-deu.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 도널드 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 도널드예요 (je ireumeun doneoldeuyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 도널드 씨 or 도널드 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.