Jane, 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 |
| 인 | ㅇ + ㅣ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄴ n at the end | in |
Why Jane is written this way
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 제인.
- Jane ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 인 has ㄴ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Jane sounds like je-in.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 제인 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 제인이에요 (je ireumeun jeinieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 제인 씨 or 제인 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.