Josephine, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 조 | ㅈ + ㅗ | ㅈ j ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | jo |
| 세 | ㅅ + ㅔ | ㅅ s ㅔ e, as in “bed” | se |
| 핀 | ㅍ + ㅣ + ㄴ | ㅍ p ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄴ n at the end | pin |
Why Josephine is written this way
- Korean has no “f” sound, so it becomes a “p” sound — ㅍ, or ㅂ at the bottom of a block.
- Josephine ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 핀 has ㄴ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Josephine sounds like jo-se-pin.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 조세핀 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 조세핀이에요 (je ireumeun josepinieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 조세핀 씨 or 조세핀 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.