Joshua, 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 |
| 슈 | ㅅ + ㅠ | ㅅ s ㅠ yu, like “you” | syu |
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
Why Joshua is written this way
- The “sh” sound is written as ㅅ plus a “y” vowel or ㅣ: 슈.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Joshua sounds like jo-syu-a.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 조슈아 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 조슈아예요 (je ireumeun josyuayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 조슈아 씨 or 조슈아 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.