Valentina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 발 | ㅂ + ㅏ + ㄹ | ㅂ b ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄹ l at the end | bal |
| 렌 | ㄹ + ㅔ + ㄴ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㄴ n at the end | ren |
| 티 | ㅌ + ㅣ | ㅌ t ㅣ i, as in “see” | ti |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
Why Valentina is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 발렌 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 발.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Valentina sounds like bal-ren-ti-na.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 발렌티나 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 발렌티나예요 (je ireumeun ballentinayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 발렌티나 씨 or 발렌티나 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.