Jose, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 호 | ㅎ + ㅗ | ㅎ h ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | ho |
| 세 | ㅅ + ㅔ | ㅅ s ㅔ e, as in “bed” | se |
Why Jose is written this way
- Every sound in Jose has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 호 (ho) + 세 (se).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Jose sounds like ho-se.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 호세 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 호세예요 (je ireumeun hoseyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 호세 씨 or 호세 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.