Daniel, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 다 | ㄷ + ㅏ | ㄷ d ㅏ a, as in “father” | da |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
| 엘 | ㅇ + ㅔ + ㄹ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㄹ l at the end | el |
Why Daniel is written this way
- Daniel ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 엘 has ㄹ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Daniel sounds like da-ni-el.
- Fun fact: Danielle is written exactly the same way in Korean — 다니엘.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 다니엘 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 다니엘이에요 (je ireumeun danierieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 다니엘 씨 or 다니엘 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.