Nicholas, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
| 콜 | ㅋ + ㅗ + ㄹ | ㅋ k ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) ㄹ l at the end | kol |
| 라 | ㄹ + ㅏ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅏ a, as in “father” | ra |
| 스 | ㅅ + ㅡ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | seu |
Why Nicholas is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 콜라 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- 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.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Nicholas sounds like ni-kol-ra-seu.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 니콜라스 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 니콜라스예요 (je ireumeun nikollaseuyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 니콜라스 씨 or 니콜라스 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.