Lucy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 루 | ㄹ + ㅜ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅜ u, as in “moon” | ru |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | ㅅ s ㅣ i, as in “see” | si |
Why Lucy is written this way
- Every sound in Lucy has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 루 (ru) + 시 (si).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Lucy sounds like ru-si.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 루시 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 루시예요 (je ireumeun rusiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 루시 씨 or 루시 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.