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Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 3

이름이 뭐예요?What's your name?

Ireumi mwoyeyo?

The first grammar chapter! Build "저는 …이에요" sentences with the linking verb 이다 (예요/이에요), and meet the topic marker 은/는 and the subject marker 이/가 for the first time. Ask with "뭐". Learn to say your own name and ask for someone else's.

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이름 묻기— Asking a Name

  1. Minsu안an녕nyeong하ha세se요yo.이i름reum이i뭐mwo예ye요yo?Hello. What's your name?
  2. Jieun저jeo는neun이i지ji은eun이i에e요yo.I'm Lee Jieun.
  3. Minsu저jeo는neun김kim민min수su예ye요yo.I'm Kim Minsu.
  4. Jieun민min수su씨ssi,안an녕nyeong하ha세se요yo.Hello, Minsu.

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친구예요— We're Friends

  1. Michael안an녕nyeong하ha세se요yo.저jeo는neun마ma이i클keul이i에e요yo.Hello. I'm Michael.
  2. Minsu마ma이i클keul씨ssi,친chin구gu예ye요yo?Michael, are you a friend?
  3. Michael네ne,친chin구gu예ye요yo!Yes, we're friends!

Vocabulary

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저jeo

pronounI, me (humble)

나na

pronounI, me (casual)

이i름reum

nounname

이i다da

cop.to be (copula)

아a니ni다da

cop.to not be

무mu엇eot

pronounwhat

뭐mwo

pronounwhat (colloquial)

은eun/는neun

particle(topic particle)

이i/가ga

particle(subject particle)

사sa람ram

nounperson

씨ssi

suf.Mr./Ms. (name suffix)

친chin구gu

nounfriend

Grammar

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The copula 이다: 예요 / 이에요

Explanation

이다 attaches after a noun to mean "to be (that noun)". In polite speech it becomes 이에요 after a noun ending in a consonant (받침), and 예요 after a noun ending in a vowel. Korean puts the verb last, so 이다 comes at the end.

Examples

  • 저jeo는neun이i지ji은eun이i에e요yo.I'm Lee Jieun. (지은 ends in a consonant → 이에요)
  • 저jeo는neun김kim민min수su예ye요yo.I'm Kim Minsu. (민수 ends in a vowel → 예요)
  • 친구예요.(It)'s a friend. (the subject can be dropped when clear)

Grammar

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은/는 (topic) · 이/가 (subject)

Explanation

은/는 marks the topic of the sentence ("as for…") — 은 after a consonant, 는 after a vowel. 이/가 marks the grammatical subject — 이 after a consonant, 가 after a vowel. For now, just learn both as "the marker you need to build a sentence"; the difference between them is covered in detail in chapter 7.

Examples

  • 저는 학생이에요.As for me, I'm a student. (저+는, topic)
  • 이름이 뭐예요?What is your name? (이름+이, subject)
  • 친구가 마이클이에요.The friend is Michael. (친구+가, subject)

Grammar

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Asking with 무엇 / 뭐

Explanation

"무엇" means "what", and everyday speech uses the short form "뭐". Korean questions do not change word order — just put the question word where the unknown noun would go. In writing add a question mark (?); in speech, raise the pitch at the end.

Examples

  • 이름이 뭐예요?What is your name?
  • 이것이 무엇이에요?What is this? (full form)
  • 뭐예요?What is it? (colloquial)

Hangul

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한글 복습: 된소리와 연음— Hangul Review: Tense Consonants and Liaison

Doubling a letter makes a tense consonant. Pronounce it harder and shorter than the plain one, with almost no air released.

  • ㄲkktighter "g" — minimal pair 가 / 까 · tense ㄱ
  • ㄸtttighter "d" — minimal pair 다 / 따 · tense ㄷ
  • ㅃpptighter "b" — minimal pair 바 / 빠 · tense ㅂ
  • ㅆsstighter "s" — minimal pair 사 / 싸 · tense ㅅ
  • ㅉjjtighter "j" — minimal pair 자 / 짜 · tense ㅈ

The vowels ㅐ and ㅔ were once slightly different but in modern Seoul speech they sound almost identical. Pronounce both like the "e" in English "bed"; just memorise the spelling word by word.

  • ㅐaelike "e" in "bed" — e.g. 개 (dog) · ㅏ + ㅣ joined
  • ㅔelike "e" in "bed" — e.g. 네 (yes), 세 (three) · ㅓ + ㅣ joined

When a final consonant is followed by ㅇ (the silent initial), the final slides into that slot. So "이름이" sounds like [이르미] and "이름이에요" like [이르미에요]. The spelling stays; only the sound links up — for now, just recognise it.

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