그녀의 이름은
geunyeoui ireumeun
In Korean, "her name is" is expressed as 그녀의 이름은 (geunyeoui ireumeun).
The phrase is used to introduce the name of a female person. While 그녀의 이름은 is a literal way to say "her name is", the word 그녀 (she/her) is primarily used in written texts like novels or news and sounds unnatural in spoken conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 그녀의 (her), 이름 (name) and 은 (topic marker).
Which one should you use?
그녀의 이름은 [Name]입니다. is a standard and formal way to state a name. For a more respectful approach when speaking about a person, you can use 이분의 이름은 [Name]입니다, which uses the polite term 이분 for "this person". In contrast, 그 사람 이름은 [Name]이야. is an informal way to say "her name is" using the term 그 사람, meaning "that person".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 은 is the topic marker, which is used in this phrase because 이름 ends in a consonant.
How do you pronounce it?
geunyeoui ireumeun
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use 그녀의 in speech, but native speakers usually omit the pronoun entirely or use the person's name/title instead.
Did you know?
- The word 그녀 is a relatively modern linguistic creation. It was developed by translating Western literature into Korean to provide a specific feminine pronoun that did not traditionally exist in the same way.
- When introducing someone of higher social status, using the word 'name' (이름) can actually be seen as slightly impolite. In those cases, people use the honorific word 성함 instead.
- If the woman is married or a mother, it is common to refer to her as [Child's Name] 어머니 meaning '[Child's Name]'s mother' instead of using her own name.
Examples in context
- 그녀의 이름은 소연입니다.Her name is Soyeon
- 그 사람 이름은 지원이야.Her name is Ji-won
- 그녀의 이름은 기억이 안 나요.geunyeoui ireumeun gieogi an nayo.I don't remember her name.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Seoyeon are looking at a photo of a friend.
- 도현 Do-hyeon이 사람이 누구예요?i sarami nuguyeyo?Who is this person?
- 서연 Seo-yeon그녀의 이름은 미나예요.geunyeoui ireumeun minayeyo.Her name is Mina.
- 도현 Do-hyeon미나 씨는 학생인가요?mina ssineun haksengingayo?Is Mina a student?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 대학교에 다녀요.ne, daehaggoe danyeoyo.Yes, she goes to university.
