Adrian, letter by letter
Hangul is written in blocks. Each block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant at the bottom.
| Block | Letters | How each letter sounds | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 에 | ㅇ + ㅔ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅔ e, as in “bed” | e |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 드 | ㄷ + ㅡ | ㄷ d ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | deu |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 언 | ㅇ + ㅓ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㄴ n at the end | eon |
Why Adrian is written this way
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 드. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 에이.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 언.
- Adrian ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 언 has ㄴ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 에이드리언 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 에이드리언이에요 (je ireumeun eideurieonieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 에이드리언 씨 or 에이드리언 님.
Official documents such as your residence card use your name in English letters, as in your passport. The Hangul spelling is what friends, coworkers and baristas will write.