Mary, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 메 | ㅁ + ㅔ | ㅁ m ㅔ e, as in “bed” | me |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
Why Mary 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”.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Mary sounds like me-ri.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 메리 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 메리예요 (je ireumeun meriyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 메리 씨 or 메리 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.