I can say my name and which country I'm from, ask the other person about their country, and choose 이에요 or 예요, 은 or 는 by the last sound of the word.
I'm Anna: 은 / 는 and 이에요 / 예요
I'm Anna: 은 / 는 and 이에요 / 예요
What for: to say who you are and where you're from, and ask others the same.
Anna, the course's main character, says “I'm Anna” this way: who — what — “to be” at the end: 저는 안나예요. It's the same for I, you, he, and she: no am / are / is.
Rule one: the last sound of the word picks the form, the way the next sound picks English a / an. After a 받침 (final consonant), 이에요: 민준이에요, 학생이에요. After a vowel, 예요: 현우예요, 친구예요.
은 / 는 marks the topic, “as for me, as for him”, chosen the same way: 은 after a 받침 (이름은), 는 after a vowel (저는, 친구는). 씨 ends in a vowel: always 씨는, 씨예요.
Spacing: family and given name together (박지현), 씨 apart (준호 씨), particles and 이에요 attached (이름은).
A question is the same sentence with a rising voice and a “?”: 한국 사람이에요? No inversion as in English; in writing only the “?” shows it, so listen to the intonation.
Nationality is “country + 사람”, two words: 한국 사람, 러시아 사람. “What nationality are you?” — 어느 나라 사람이에요?
Never use 씨 about yourself. Address people by name + 씨, not with a word for “you”. The formal 저는 안나입니다: recognize it, but write 이에요 / 예요.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “저는 안나 씨예요” → 저는 안나예요.
• NOT “당신은 한국 사람이에요?” → 민준 씨는 한국 사람이에요?
• NOT “안나이에요”, “민준예요” → 안나예요, 민준이에요.
• NOT “저은”, “한국사람” → 저는, 한국 사람.
Chosen by the last sound of the word
The form depends on the last sound of the word, the way the next sound picks English a / an. 씨 ends in a vowel.
| Last sound of the word | “To be” | Topic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| with a 받침 | 이에요 | 은 | 민준이에요 · 이름은 |
| no 받침 (vowel) | 예요 | 는 | 현우예요 · 저는 |
| after 씨: always | 예요 | 는 | 서연 씨예요 · 서연 씨는 |
A country and its people
A person from a country is “country + 사람”: two words separated by a space. The marked rows are for recognizing by ear.
| Country | Nationality | In English |
|---|---|---|
| 한국 | 한국 사람 | Korean |
| 러시아 | 러시아 사람 | Russian |
| 미국 | 미국 사람 | American |
| 중국 | 중국 사람 | Chinese |
| 일본 | 일본 사람 | Japanese |
| 독일 | 독일 사람 | German |
| 영국 | 영국 사람 | British |
| 프랑스 | 프랑스 사람 | French |
| 캐나다 | 캐나다 사람 | Canadian |
| 베트남 | 베트남 사람 | Vietnamese |
| 태국 | 태국 사람 | Thai |
| 몽골 | 몽골 사람 | Mongolian (recognition only) |
| 말레이시아 | 말레이시아 사람 | Malaysian (recognition only) |
| 인도네시아 | 인도네시아 사람 | Indonesian (recognition only) |
Lesson notes
I'm Anna: 은 / 는 and 이에요 / 예요
What for: to say who you are and where you're from, and ask others the same.
Anna, the course's main character, says “I'm Anna” this way: who — what — “to be” at the end: 저는 안나예요. It's the same for I, you, he, and she: no am / are / is.
Rule one: the last sound of the word picks the form, the way the next sound picks English a / an. After a 받침 (final consonant), 이에요: 민준이에요, 학생이에요. After a vowel, 예요: 현우예요, 친구예요.
은 / 는 marks the topic, “as for me, as for him”, chosen the same way: 은 after a 받침 (이름은), 는 after a vowel (저는, 친구는). 씨 ends in a vowel: always 씨는, 씨예요.
Spacing: family and given name together (박지현), 씨 apart (준호 씨), particles and 이에요 attached (이름은).
A question is the same sentence with a rising voice and a “?”: 한국 사람이에요? No inversion as in English; in writing only the “?” shows it, so listen to the intonation.
Nationality is “country + 사람”, two words: 한국 사람, 러시아 사람. “What nationality are you?” — 어느 나라 사람이에요?
Never use 씨 about yourself. Address people by name + 씨, not with a word for “you”. The formal 저는 안나입니다: recognize it, but write 이에요 / 예요.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “저는 안나 씨예요” → 저는 안나예요.
• NOT “당신은 한국 사람이에요?” → 민준 씨는 한국 사람이에요?
• NOT “안나이에요”, “민준예요” → 안나예요, 민준이에요.
• NOT “저은”, “한국사람” → 저는, 한국 사람.