Susan, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 수 | ㅅ + ㅜ | ㅅ s ㅜ u, as in “moon” | su |
| 잔 | ㅈ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅈ j ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄴ n at the end | jan |
Why Susan is written this way
- The “s” in Susan is said like “z”, and Korean writes that sound with ㅈ (j): 잔.
- Susan ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 잔 has ㄴ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Susan sounds like su-jan.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 수잔 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 수잔이에요 (je ireumeun sujanieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 수잔 씨 or 수잔 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.