Mateo, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 마 | ㅁ + ㅏ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” | ma |
| 테 | ㅌ + ㅔ | ㅌ t ㅔ e, as in “bed” | te |
| 오 | ㅇ + ㅗ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | o |
Why Mateo is written this way
- Every sound in Mateo has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 마 (ma) + 테 (te) + 오 (o).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Mateo sounds like ma-te-o.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 마테오 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 마테오예요 (je ireumeun mateoyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 마테오 씨 or 마테오 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.