응우옌
eung'uyen[ɯŋuje̞n]
The English surname Nguyen is written in Korean as 응우옌 (eung'uyen). Wiktionary also lists 응웬 (eung'wen).
Meaning: Vietnamese surname (name)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 응우옌 | eung'uyen | [ɯŋuje̞n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ɯŋue̞n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 응웬 | eung'wen | [ɯŋwe̞n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
This term is used to transcribe the Vietnamese surname Nguyen into the Korean writing system.
Which one should you use?
응우옌 is the more standard and precise transcription of the Vietnamese surname Nguyen in Korean, whereas 응웬 is an alternative version.
How do you pronounce it?
eung'uyen
Did you know?
- Korean speakers perceive 응우옌 as the 'Kim' of Vietnam because of its overwhelming prevalence as a surname.
- Because the Vietnamese surname Nguyen is a single syllable, Korean speakers often split it into two syllables like 응우옌 to better fit the Korean phonetic structure.
- The Korean version 응우옌 completely removes the melodic tone of the original Vietnamese name, as Korean is not a tonal language.
Examples in context
- 어제 Nguyen 씨를 만났어요Yesterday, I met Mr./Ms. Nguyen.
- 응우옌 씨는 베트남 사람이에요.Eung-u-yen ssi-neun Be-teu-nam sa-ram-i-e-yo.Mr. Nguyen is Vietnamese.
- 그의 성은 응우옌입니다.Geu-ui seong-eun Eung-u-yen-im-ni-da.His surname is Nguyen.
- 응우옌이라는 이름을 가진 친구가 있어요.Eung-u-yen-i-ra-neun i-reum-eul ga-jin chin-gu-ga iss-eo-yo.I have a friend named Nguyen.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Do-hyeon are talking about a new colleague at work.
- 지은 Ji-eun새로 오신 분 성함이 어떻게 되세요?Sae-ro o-sin bun seong-ham-i eo-tteo-ke doe-se-yo?What is the name of the new person?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응우옌 씨라고 해요.Eung-u-yen ssi-ra-go hae-yo.His name is Mr. Nguyen.
- 지은 Ji-eun아, 응우옌 씨요? 기억할게요.A, Eung-u-yen ssi-yo? Gi-eok-hal-ge-yo.Ah, Mr. Nguyen? I'll remember that.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 성격도 정말 좋으세요.Ne, seong-gyeok-do jeong-mal jo-eu-se-yo.Yes, he also has a very good personality.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nguyen” translations and entries 응우옌, 응웬, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
