Samantha, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사 | ㅅ + ㅏ | ㅅ s ㅏ a, as in “father” | sa |
| 만 | ㅁ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄴ n at the end | man |
| 다 | ㄷ + ㅏ | ㄷ d ㅏ a, as in “father” | da |
Why Samantha is written this way
- Korean has no “th” sound. It is usually written ㅅ (s), or ㅌ (t) / ㄷ (d) when that is closer to how the name is said.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Samantha sounds like sa-man-da.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 사만다 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 사만다예요 (je ireumeun samandayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 사만다 씨 or 사만다 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.