안녕, 이름이 뭐야?
Annyeong, ireumi mwoya?
The English phrase "hi, what's your name?" is translated into Korean as 안녕, 이름이 뭐야? (Annyeong, ireumi mwoya?)
This phrase is a casual way to greet someone and ask for their name. The word 이름 means "name".
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 can be used as both a casual "hello" and a casual "goodbye".
Which one should you use?
While 이름이 뭐야? is a casual way to ask for a name, the more polite or formal ways to ask are 이름이 어떻게 되세요? or 성함이 어떻게 되세요?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 안녕, 이름이 뭐야? is informal and should only be used with people of the same age or younger or close friends.
How do you pronounce it?
Annyeong, ireumi mwoya?
Did you know?
- Because of the importance of hierarchy, many Koreans will skip asking for a name entirely and instead ask for your age to determine how to speak to you.
- The word 안녕 is actually a shortened form of a wish for someone to be in a state of 'peace' or 'tranquility'.
- When asking for a name in a formal setting, Koreans often use the phrase 어떻게 되세요?, which translates to 'how does it become?' This softens the question to avoid sounding like an interrogation.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요? 이름이 어떻게 되세요?Hello, what is your name?
- 처음 뵙겠습니다. 성함이 어떻게 되세요?Nice to meet you. What is your name?
- 안녕! 이름이 뭐야?Hi! What's your name?
- 안녕, 이름이 뭐야? 만나서 반가워.annyeong, ireumi mwoya? mannaseo bangawo.Hi, what's your name? Nice to meet you.
- 안녕, 이름이 뭐야? 나랑 같이 놀자.annyeong, ireumi mwoya? narang gachi nolja.Hi, what's your name? Let's play together.
Example conversation
Two children meet at a playground.
- 민준 Min-jun안녕, 이름이 뭐야?annyeong, ireumi mwoya?Hi, what's your name?
- 민지 Min-ji안녕, 내 이름은 민지야.annyeong, nae ireumeun minjiya.Hi, my name is Minji.
- 민준 Min-jun나는 민준이야. 같이 놀자!naneun minjuniya. gachi nolja!I'm Minjun. Let's play together!
- 민지 Min-ji그래, 좋아!geurae, joa!Okay, sounds good!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
