안녕하세요, 제 이름은 …입니다, 만나서 반갑습니다
annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun …imnida, mannaseo bangapsumnida
In Korean, the phrase to say "hello, my name is, nice to meet you" is 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 …입니다, 만나서 반갑습니다 (annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun …imnida, mannaseo bangapsumnida).
This set of phrases is used to introduce yourself to another person for the first time. 안녕하세요 is the typical formal way to say "hello", 제 이름은 …입니다 means "my name is …", and 반갑습니다 means "nice to meet you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 만나서 반갑습니다 literally breaks down to "Because I met you, I am glad".
Which one should you use?
When stating your name, using 제 (je) is the humble/polite form of "my", whereas 내 (nae) is the informal version used with friends. 반가워요 means "nice to meet you" and 반가워 translates to "glad to meet you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For greetings, 안녕하세요 is a polite way to say "hello" using the -세요 ending, which makes it suitable for strangers or people older than you. A more respectful version of "hello" is 안녕하십니까. In casual settings, you can simply use 안녕. Regarding your name, 이에요 is a less formal version of 입니다 (imnida).
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun …imnida, mannaseo bangapsumnida
Did you know?
- The greeting 안녕하세요 is not just a simple 'hello', but actually asks if the person is living in peace or well-being.
- When introducing yourself, a slight bow of the head often accompanies 안녕하세요 and 만나서 반갑습니다 to show respect.
- In Middle Korean, the form 제 was the only grammatically possible way to express 'my', as certain vowel clusters were mandatory to elide.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕하세요, 제, CC BY-SA 4.0.
