Nathan, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 네 | ㄴ + ㅔ | ㄴ n ㅔ e, as in “bed” | ne |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 선 | ㅅ + ㅓ + ㄴ | ㅅ s ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㄴ n at the end | seon |
Why Nathan is written this way
- Korean has no “th” sound. It is usually written ㅅ (s), or ㅌ (t) / ㄷ (d) when that is closer to how the name is said.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 네이.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 선.
- Nathan ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 선 has ㄴ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 네이선 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 네이선이에요 (je ireumeun neiseonieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 네이선 씨 or 네이선 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.