What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 제 이름은 breaks down into 제 (my or mine), 이름 (name) and the topic marker 은. The final part, 마리아입니다, uses the verb ending -입니다 to mean "is Maria."
Which one should you use?
The form 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마리아입니다 is formal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마리아입니다 uses the formal polite style, making it appropriate for business settings or meeting elders for the first time. In contrast, 안녕, 나는 마리아야 is the informal version. Within the formal version, 안녕하세요 is the formal way to say "Hi" or "Hello," and 제 is the polite way to say "my" or "mine."
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ending -입니다 (-imnida) is the formal polite form of the verb "to be" used to state facts like one's name. In the informal version, 나는 is used to mean "I" or "me."
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun maria-imnida
Did you know?
- The greeting 안녕하세요 literally translates to 'Are you at peace?' or 'Are you well?', rather than a simple 'Hi'.
- When introducing yourself in Korea, it is common to bow while saying 안녕하세요 to show respect to the other person.
- The word 제 is actually a historical contraction that formed because Middle Korean grammar required the merging of certain vowel clusters.
Examples in context
- 처음 뵙겠습니다. 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마리아입니다.cheoeum boepgetseumnida. annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun mariaimnida.Nice to meet you. Hi, my name is Maria.
- 반갑습니다. 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마리아입니다.bangapseumnida. annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun mariaimnida.Glad to meet you. Hi, my name is Maria.
Example conversation
Maria and Minji meet for the first time at a study group.
- 민지 Min-ji안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마리아입니다.annyeonghaseyo, je ireumeun mariaimnida.Hello, my name is Maria.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo반가워요, 마리아 씨. 저는 민지예요.bangawoyo, maria ssi. jeoneun minjiyeyo.Nice to meet you, Maria. I am Minji.
- 민지 Min-ji만나서 정말 반가워요, 민지 씨.mannaseo jeongmal bangawoyo, minji ssi.It is really nice to meet you, Minji.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 우리 같이 열심히 공부해요.ne, uri gati yeolsimhi gongbuhaeyo.Yes, let's study hard together.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕하세요, 제, CC BY-SA 4.0.
