Fatima, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 파 | ㅍ + ㅏ | ㅍ p ㅏ a, as in “father” | pa |
| 티 | ㅌ + ㅣ | ㅌ t ㅣ i, as in “see” | ti |
| 마 | ㅁ + ㅏ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” | ma |
Why Fatima is written this way
- Korean has no “f” sound, so it becomes a “p” sound — ㅍ, or ㅂ at the bottom of a block.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Fatima sounds like pa-ti-ma.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 파티마 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 파티마예요 (je ireumeun patimayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 파티마 씨 or 파티마 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.