James, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 제 | ㅈ + ㅔ | ㅈ j ㅔ e, as in “bed” | je |
| 임 | ㅇ + ㅣ + ㅁ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” ㅁ m at the end | im |
| 스 | ㅅ + ㅡ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | seu |
Why James 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.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 제임.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so James sounds like je-im-seu.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 제임스 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 제임스예요 (je ireumeun jeimseuyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 제임스 씨 or 제임스 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.