Introduce Yourself in Korean: 저는 ~입니다 and 이에요/예요
Introduce yourself in Korean with 저는 ~입니다/이에요 — topic marker 은/는, the vowel-consonant rule for 이에요/예요, key job words, and a language exchange dialogue.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
To introduce yourself in Korean, say 저는 + your name + 입니다 in formal settings, or 저는 + name + 이에요/예요 in everyday polite speech. This lesson unpacks the topic marker 은/는, the last-letter rule that picks between 이에요 and 예요, and the two set phrases Koreans expect to hear at every first meeting. The 입니다 ending itself comes straight from Lesson 3.
The self-introduction toolkit
Twelve words and phrases cover name, nationality, and occupation — the three things every first conversation in Korea asks about.
The country + 사람 pattern is fully productive: 일본 사람 (Japanese), 영국 사람 (British), 프랑스 사람 (French). Learn your own country word once and the formula does the rest.
The topic marker 은/는
Korean marks the role of each noun with little tags called particles. The first one every learner meets is 은/는, the topic marker — it points at what the sentence is about.
The choice is mechanical: look at the LAST letter of the noun. Ends in a batchim → 은: 이름은, 선생님은. Ends in a vowel → 는: 저는, 친구는. 저는 학생입니다 = As for me, (I) am a student — Korean states the topic, then comments on it.
This batchim-or-vowel check is not a one-off. It silently runs through the whole language — you will meet it again with 이/가, 을/를, and right now with 이에요/예요.
이에요 or 예요? Listen to the last letter
입니다 is perfect for interviews, but at a café it sounds like reading the news. Everyday polite Korean uses 이에요/예요 instead — same meaning, one notch more relaxed.
Same last-letter rule, opposite pairing direction: Batchim → 이에요: 학생이에요, 회사원이에요, 대만 사람이에요. Vowel → 예요: 친구예요, 민수예요, 의사예요 (doctor). Question form is free: raise your intonation. 학생이에요? = Are you a student?
Why two forms? A batchim needs the vowel of 이에요 to glide onto (학생이에요 = hak-saeng-i-e-yo, linking exactly as Lesson 2 promised), while a vowel ending would collide with it — so it contracts to 예요.
At a language exchange
The classic situation: a language exchange meetup, two strangers, one table. Watch the formal openers and the everyday 이에요/예요 mix naturally — that is how real introductions sound.
The ritual frame: 처음 뵙겠습니다 → 잘 부탁드립니다
Korean first meetings run on a script with a clear opening and closing. 처음 뵙겠습니다 opens — literally “I see you for the first time”. 잘 부탁드립니다 closes — literally “I ask you to treat me well”, and there is no clean English equivalent because it encodes something cultural: by introducing yourself, you enter a relationship, and you politely entrust your side of it to the other person. Use the pair at job interviews, first classes, and meeting your friend’s parents. One more cultural note — do not be surprised if a new acquaintance asks your age early. It is not rude in Korea; the answer decides which speech level everyone should use with each other.
FAQ
What is the difference between 저 and 나? Both mean I or me. 저 is the humble form for polite and formal situations — strangers, teachers, anyone older. 나 belongs to casual speech between close friends. As a beginner, defaulting to 저 is always safe.
When should I use 입니다 instead of 이에요/예요? Both are polite. 입니다 is the formal register — interviews, presentations, announcements, news. 이에요/예요 is the everyday polite register you will actually use in cafés, classrooms, and meetups. Mixing them is not rude; matching the room is the skill.
Do Koreans say their family name first? Yes — 김민수 is family name 김 plus given name 민수. In self-introductions you can give your full name or just your given name. Foreign names keep their own order: 저는 앨릭스예요.
Next: this, that and what — 이거, 그거, 저거. Previous: basic Korean greetings. Full path: curriculum hub.