이
i[i]
이 is the Korean family name for Lee.
이 is a common Korean family name.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is i.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often romanize this name as 'Lee', but in the Korean language, the actual character is pronounced 이 as 'i'.
Did you know?
- While many English speakers see the name 'Lee' as a distinct surname, in Korean, it is written as 이, which is the same word used for the number 'two'.
- Historically, the pronunciation of the surname 이 was recorded as 니 ('ni') in texts such as the 1446 Hunminjeong'eum haerye.
- The family name 이 is closely associated with the Joseon dynasty, as the royal family of that era belonged to the 이 clan.
Examples in context
- 로버트 이Robert Lee
- 제니퍼 이Jennifer Lee
- 이 씨는 성격이 정말 좋아요.I ssi-neun seonggyeogi jeongmal joayo.Mr. Lee has a really good personality.
- 제 친구 성은 이 씨예요.Je chin-gu seong-eun I ssi-ye-yo.My friend's surname is Lee.
- 이 선생님을 만날 예정이에요.I seonsaengnim-eul mannal yejeong-ieyo.I am planning to meet Mr. Lee.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Jieun are introducing their classmates.
- 지훈 Ji-hun저분은 누구예요?jeobun-eun nuguyeyo?Who is that person?
- 지은 Ji-eun이 씨라고 해요.i ssi-rago haeyo.They are called Mr. Lee.
- 지훈 Ji-hun아, 이 씨군요.a, i ssigun-yo.Oh, it's Mr. Lee.
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 맞아요.ne, majayo.Yes, that's right.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 이, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 이, CC BY-SA 4.0.
