Francis in Korean news
People named Francis whose Korean spelling was decided by the government committee on foreign names (외래어 심의회). Foreign names keep their own order in Korean — given name first, then surname.
| Name | In Korean | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Francis Gurry | 프랜시스 거리 | Australia |
| Francis Fukuyama | 프랜시스 후쿠야마 | US |
| Francis Tolentino | 프랜시스 톨렌티노 | Philippines |
| Francis Ford Coppola | 프랜시스 포드 코폴라 | US |
| Francis Collins | 프랜시스 콜린스 | US |
| Francis Harvey | 프랜시스 하비 | US |
| Francis Bacon | 프랜시스 베이컨 | UK |
Francis, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 프 | ㅍ + ㅡ | ㅍ p ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | peu |
| 랜 | ㄹ + ㅐ + ㄴ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” ㄴ n at the end | raen |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | ㅅ s ㅣ i, as in “see” | si |
| 스 | ㅅ + ㅡ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | seu |
Why Francis is written this way
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 프, 스. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- Korean has no “f” sound, so it becomes a “p” sound — ㅍ, or ㅂ at the bottom of a block.
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 랜.
- Fun fact: Frances is written exactly the same way in Korean — 프랜시스.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 프랜시스 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 프랜시스예요 (je ireumeun peuraensiseuyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 프랜시스 씨 or 프랜시스 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. How Korean spells foreign names — the full guide →