제 이름이 뭐예요?
je ireumi mwoyeyo?
The English phrase "what is my name?" is translated into Korean as 제 이름이 뭐예요? (je ireumi mwoyeyo?)
This phrase is used when a speaker is asking someone else to state what the speaker's own name is.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 제 이름이 뭐예요? is composed of 제 (my – humble form), 이름 (name), 이 (subject marker) and 뭐예요? (is what?).
Which one should you use?
The version 제 이름이 뭐예요? uses the humble pronoun 제 to refer to oneself, which is appropriate for polite social situations. In contrast, if you are speaking to a close friend or someone younger, you would use the informal 내 이름이 뭐야? or 내 이름은 뭐야? instead of using 제 and 뭐예요?
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 제 이름이 뭐예요?, the particle 이 is attached to 이름 to mark 이름 (name) as the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
je ireumi mwoyeyo?
Did you know?
- Korean culture places such high value on social hierarchy that asking 제 이름이 뭐예요? (what is my name?) can sound like a riddle or a joke, as it is socially unnatural to forget your own name in a formal setting.
- In Korean, the concept of a 'name' can be split into the native word 이름 and the honorific 성함. While you use 이름 for your own name, using it for a superior's name instead of 성함 can be seen as a social faux pas.
- While 이름 is the standard word for 'name', it is also used in the phrase 이름을 날리다, which literally means 'to scatter one's name' but actually means to become famous.
Examples in context
- 내 이름이 뭐야?What is my name?
- 혹시 제 이름이 뭐예요?hoksi je ireumi mwoyeyo?By any chance, what is my name?
- 기억이 안 나는데, 제 이름이 뭐예요?gieogi an naneunde, je ireumi mwoyeyo?I can't remember, what is my name?
Example conversation
Hyun-woo has temporary memory loss and asks Ji-eun for help.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은 씨, 제 이름이 뭐예요?Ji-eun ssi, je ireumi mwoyeyo?Ji-eun, what is my name?
- 지은 Ji-eun갑자기 왜 그러세요? 현우 씨잖아요.gapjagi wae geureoseyo? Hyeon-u ssi-janayo.Why are you being like this suddenly? You're Hyun-woo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 제 이름이 현우예요?jeongmal je ireumi Hyeon-u-yeyo?Is my name really Hyun-woo?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 맞아요. 정신 차리세요.ne, majayo. jeongsin chariseyo.Yes, it is. Please pull yourself together.
