이름
ireum[iɾɯm]
The English phrase "a name" is 이름 (ireum) in Korean.
이름 is the standard term used to refer to a name.
Which one should you use?
While 이름 is the standard word for name, 성함 is the honorific form used when asking for or referring to someone's name in a polite or formal context.
How does it change in a sentence?
A common, polite way to ask someone's name is by using the phrase 이름이 뭐예요?, which employs the subject marker –이.
Did you know?
- In traditional Korean contexts, knowing a person's 'true' name was sometimes considered a way to hold power over them, influencing how names are used in speech.
- Linguists suggest that the Korean word 이름 may have been borrowed from the Khitan language, an ancient tongue spoken by the people who founded the Liao dynasty.
- When using the honorific 성함, the word itself changes its phonetic structure entirely from the standard 이름, rather than just adding a suffix.
Examples in context
- 멀거나 기억 속의 물건을 가르켜 이름.A name indicating something far away or in distant memory.This sentence is useful for illustrating a name indicating something far away or in distant memory.Tatoeba #2714631 by Natalia_Su, translation #3659402 by rbbrbb
- 잭슨 왕Jackson Wang
- 김수경Kim Soo-kyung
- 최민호Choi Min-ho
- 그 사람 이름이 뭐예요?geu saram ireumi mwoyeyo?What is that person's name?
- 제 이름은 김민지입니다.je ireumeun gimminjiimnida.My name is Minji Kim.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are meeting for the first time at a social gathering.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨, 이름이 어떻게 되세요?minji ssi, ireumi eotteoke doeseyo?Minji, what is your name?
- 민지 Min-ji제 이름은 이민지예요.je ireumeun iminjiyeoyo.My name is Minji Lee.
- 도현 Do-hyeon반가워요, 민지 씨.bangawayo, minji ssi.Nice to meet you, Minji.
- 민지 Min-ji도현 씨도 반가워요.dohyeon ssido bangawayo.Nice to meet you too, Dohyun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 이름, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 이름, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
