Levi, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 바 | ㅂ + ㅏ | ㅂ b ㅏ a, as in “father” | ba |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
Why Levi is written this way
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 바.
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 바이.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Levi sounds like ri-ba-i.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 리바이 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 리바이예요 (je ireumeun ribaiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 리바이 씨 or 리바이 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.