Nina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
Why Nina is written this way
- Every sound in Nina has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 니 (ni) + 나 (na).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Nina sounds like ni-na.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 니나 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 니나예요 (je ireumeun ninayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 니나 씨 or 니나 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.