안녕하세요? 처음 만나요First Meetings
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Greet someone and take leave using common everyday polite Korean expressions.
- Introduce yourself using 저는 [name]이에요/예요 in a polite, everyday context.
- Ask and answer the question "What is your name?" using 이름이 뭐예요?
- Use 저 and 제 correctly as the polite first-person forms.
- Use basic courtesy expressions, including thank you, sorry, and you're welcome.
- Recognize and name the basic components of Hangeul: vowels and consonants as individual letters (jamo), and their combination into syllable blocks.
- Read and write the five simple Korean vowels and the first set of Korean consonants.
- Identify how Korean syllable blocks are structured.
Communication Scenario
You have just arrived for the first session of a Korean language course at a community language center. Before the class starts, the instructor has asked everyone to greet and introduce themselves to at least two other participants — in Korean. Some people seem as new to the language as you are. The instructor will also introduce herself.
- Think about the last time you met a stranger in a slightly formal context, such as starting a new class or attending a workshop. What did you say first? Was the opening word a greeting or your name?
- In Korean, there is one everyday polite greeting that fits almost any situation where you are meeting someone for the first time: 안녕하세요? By the end of this chapter, you will say it naturally, introduce yourself, and begin reading and writing in Hangeul — the Korean writing system you will use from this chapter forward.
Core Vocabulary
인사말 — Greetings and farewells
| Korean | Romanization | English meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요? | annyeonghaseyo | Hello / How are you? (polite everyday greeting) | The standard everyday polite greeting for almost any situation — morning, afternoon, or evening — and for both first meetings and familiar faces |
| 처음 만나요. | cheoeum mannayo | It's our first time meeting. / Nice to meet you. | Said specifically when meeting someone for the very first time, often right after 안녕하세요? |
| 반가워요. | bangawoyo | Nice to meet you. / I'm glad to meet you. | A warm expression of pleasure at meeting someone; common alongside or after 처음 만나요 |
| 안녕히 가세요. | annyeonghi gaseyo | Goodbye (to someone who is leaving) | Said by the person who stays, to someone who is departing |
| 안녕히 계세요. | annyeonghi gyeseyo | Goodbye (to someone who is staying) | Said by the person who leaves, to someone who remains |
| 또 봐요. | tto bwayo | See you again. | A friendly, common farewell when you expect to meet again |
| 실례합니다. | sillyehamnida | Excuse me. (formal) | Used when politely interrupting, passing by, or drawing someone's attention in a formal setting; the -ㅂ니다 ending signals the formal style, which you will study later |
Korean has two main farewell expressions that differ depending on who is moving: the person staying says 안녕히 가세요 ("go well"), while the person leaving says 안녕히 계세요 ("stay well"). This distinction reflects Korean's attention to the relative positions and actions of each speaker. For now, learn both as useful fixed formulas; the internal grammar will become clear in later chapters.
자기소개 — Introductions
| Korean | Romanization | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 저는 [이름]이에요/예요. | jeoneun [ireum]ieyo/yeyo | I am [name]. | The standard polite self-introduction pattern; which ending you use depends on the final sound of the name (see Grammar section) |
| 이름이 뭐예요? | ireumi mwoyeyo | What is your name? | A natural, everyday polite way to ask someone's name |
| 저 | jeo | I / me (polite) | The polite first-person form used as the subject or topic of a sentence |
| 제 | je | my (polite) | The polite first-person possessive form, as in 제 이름 (my name) |
저 and 제 are the polite equivalents of the plain forms 나 and 내. In everyday polite Korean — the variety you are learning now — use 저 and 제 as your default first-person forms.
감사 표현 — Courtesy expressions
| Korean | Romanization | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 감사합니다. | gamsahamnida | Thank you. (formal) |
| 고마워요. | gomawoyo | Thank you. (everyday polite) |
| 천만에요. | cheonmaneyo | You're welcome. |
| 죄송합니다. | joesonghamnida | I'm sorry. (formal) |
| 괜찮아요. | gwaenchanayo | It's okay. / That's fine. / Don't worry about it. |
| 네. | ne | Yes. |
| 아니요. | aniyo | No. |
You will notice that some courtesy expressions end in -ㅂ니다 (formal style) while others end in -아요/어요 (everyday polite style). For now, treat all of these as ready-to-use formulas. The two speech-level systems will be explained carefully in later chapters. Both styles appear in real Korean life; this chapter introduces them as useful expressions, not as grammar to analyze yet.
교실 언어 — Classroom survival expressions
| Korean | Romanization | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 네. | ne | Yes. |
| 아니요. | aniyo | No. |
| 알겠어요. | algesseoyo | I understand. / Got it. |
| 다시 한 번 해 주세요. | dasi han beon hae juseyo | Please do that once more. (repeat, please) |
| 천천히 말해 주세요. | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo | Please speak slowly. |
Hangeul
Korean is written in Hangeul (한글), a phonetic alphabet invented in 1443 under King Sejong. You will read and write exclusively in Hangeul throughout this course. Romanization — the practice of representing Korean sounds in the Roman alphabet — may appear temporarily to support pronunciation, but it will never replace Hangeul as your reading and writing system.
Unlike Chinese characters or Japanese hiragana, Hangeul letters represent individual sounds — vowels and consonants — exactly as a Roman-alphabet language does. However, Korean letters are not written in a row from left to right one letter at a time. Instead, they are packaged together into syllable blocks: each block is one syllable, and a block normally contains two or three letters arranged into a compact square unit.
This means the word 한국어 (Korean language) is written as three syllable blocks — 한, 국, 어 — each of which is made up of individual Hangeul letters. Understanding this structure is the key to reading and writing Korean.
기본 모음 — The five simple vowels
Korean has ten basic vowels and a number of compound vowels. This chapter introduces the five most fundamental simple vowels — the building blocks of everything else.
Vowels that run vertically (like ㅏ and ㅓ) sit to the right of a consonant inside a syllable block. Vowels that run horizontally (like ㅗ, ㅜ, and ㅡ) sit below a consonant. One additional vowel is introduced below for immediate use:
기본 자음 — The first consonants
These consonants appear in the chapter's core vocabulary. Each is shown in its jamo form (the individual letter) and its name.
The romanizations given above (such as g/k and b/p) reflect the fact that some Korean consonants change their sound depending on position. These details will be explained over the coming chapters. For now, use the romanization as a temporary pronunciation guide only — your goal is always to read and write Hangeul itself.
음절 블록 — How syllable blocks are built
Every Korean syllable is written as a compact block. The block always has at least one consonant and one vowel. When a syllable begins with a vowel sound, the consonant ㅇ serves as a silent placeholder in the initial position.
The consonant ㅇ has two jobs in Korean. When it appears at the beginning of a syllable block (in the initial consonant position), it is silent — it simply marks that the syllable starts with a vowel sound, since no Korean syllable block can begin with a vowel letter alone. When ㅇ appears at the end of a syllable block (as the final consonant, called the batchim), it is pronounced as the /ŋ/ sound, like the "ng" at the end of the English word "song." Both uses of ㅇ appear in the very first word you are learning: 안녕하세요.
연습 — Practice: Look at the greeting 안녕하세요 and count the syllable blocks. How many are there? For each block, can you identify the initial consonant, the vowel, and — where present — the final consonant (batchim)? Write your answers before reading on.
Answer: 안녕하세요 contains five syllable blocks: 안 · 녕 · 하 · 세 · 요. The blocks 안 and 녕 each have a final consonant (batchim); the remaining blocks do not.
Pronunciation
Korean vowels — five stable sounds
The five simple vowels introduced in this chapter each have a steady, pure quality. Unlike many English vowels, Korean vowels do not glide or shift in quality as they are held. Practice each one as a single, stable sound.
- ㅏ /a/ — similar to the "a" in "father," but short and pure; lips open wide아 — ah
- ㅓ /ʌ/ — a sound with no close English equivalent; the mouth is slightly open, the tongue mid-low and central; romanized as "eo" but not pronounced like the letters "e" and "o" in English어 — a sound between "uh" and "aw"
- ㅗ /o/ — similar to the "o" in "more," but without the glide at the end; lips rounded오 — oh (pure, no glide)
- ㅜ /u/ — similar to "oo" in "moon," but with less lip-rounding than English우 — oo
- ㅡ /ɯ/ — no equivalent in English; a back vowel made with the tongue pulled back and lips unrounded; romanized "eu"으 — a flat, unrounded back vowel
- ㅣ /i/ — similar to the "ee" in "see," but shorter이 — ee
Two Korean vowels cause consistent trouble for English speakers. The vowel ㅓ is romanized as "eo," which leads learners to pronounce it as two separate sounds — "e" plus "o." It is actually a single vowel, roughly in the range between English "uh" (as in "cup") and "aw" (as in "law"), with neither glide nor transition. The vowel ㅡ is romanized as "eu," but again this is a single sound: an unrounded back vowel with no English equivalent. Placing a pencil lightly between your teeth and making an "ee" sound while gradually pulling your tongue back will get you closer to ㅡ. Practice both vowels in isolation before using them in words.
The first consonants
Several consonants in this chapter behave predictably for English speakers:
- ㄴ — like English "n"나 — na
- ㅁ — like English "m"마 — ma
- ㅎ — like English "h," but the sound sometimes weakens or disappears between vowels in natural speech하 — ha
Three consonants require more care:
- ㄹ — this consonant has no direct English equivalent; at the beginning of a syllable it is produced with a light flap of the tongue tip, similar to the "r" in Spanish para; at the end of a syllable it becomes a lateral /l/ sound. In English approximation, beginners may hear it as something between "r" and "l."리을 — listen for the flap, not a rolling "r" or hard "l"
- ㅇ (final) — at the end of a syllable block, this is the /ŋ/ sound, like "ng" in "song"앙 — a + ng
- ㅇ (initial) — silent; simply holds the initial consonant position when the syllable begins with a vowel sound아 — the ㅇ is not pronounced
안녕하세요? is written with a question mark, and it can be said with a slight rise in pitch at the end — making it feel like a genuine inquiry about the other person's wellbeing. However, it is equally natural to say it with a falling or level intonation as a simple greeting. Both are correct. The question mark in writing signals the greeting's origin as a courtesy question ("Are you at peace?"), not a strict requirement to raise your voice at the end.
Grammar Instruction
1.1 저는 [이름]이에요/예요 — Introducing yourself
Purpose: state your name using a complete, polite everyday sentence.
The pattern 저는 [이름]이에요/예요 combines three parts: the topic 저 (polite "I"), the topic particle 는, and the copular predicate 이에요 or 예요 attached after your name.
- 저는 사라예요. Jeoneun Sarajeyo. — I am Sara. [topic] 저 + 는 + [name] 사라 + [copula] 예요
- 저는 유수프예요. Jeoneun Yusupeyeyo. — I am Yusuf.
- 저는 민준이에요. Jeoneun Minjunieyo. — I am Minjun. [topic] 저 + 는 + [name] 민준 + [copula] 이에요
The copula has two forms in everyday polite Korean, and the choice depends entirely on the final sound of the noun it follows.
- If the preceding syllable ends in a consonant (has a batchim), use 이에요: 민준 ends in ㄴ, so → 민준이에요.
- If the preceding syllable ends in a vowel (no batchim), use 예요: 사라 ends in ㅏ, so → 사라예요.
This is not an irregular rule — it is one of the most systematic patterns in Korean. Many endings in Korean change their shape depending on whether the preceding syllable ends in a consonant or a vowel. You will encounter this pattern throughout the course.
1.2 저 and 제 — Polite first-person forms
Purpose: refer to yourself appropriately in polite Korean.
Korean distinguishes two registers of first-person reference. In everyday polite Korean — the style you are learning — use 저 as the subject/topic form and 제 as the possessive form.
- 저는 학생이에요. I am a student. 저 = polite "I" as topic
- 제 이름은 사라예요. My name is Sara. 제 = polite "my"
Korean has two sets of first-person forms: 저/제 (polite) and 나/내 (plain/casual). In this course, you will use 저/제 as your default, because the productive style you are building is everyday polite Korean. The plain forms 나/내 are used among close friends, in casual situations, and in speech directed to people younger than oneself. They will be introduced with their full social context at the appropriate stage. For now, 저/제 is always the safe, appropriate choice.
1.3 Topic particle 는/은 — Marking what you are talking about
Purpose: mark the topic of a sentence.
Korean marks the topic of a sentence with the particle 은 or 는. Like the copula endings above, the choice between them depends on whether the topic noun ends in a consonant or a vowel:
- 저는 사라예요. I am Sara. 저 ends in vowel (ㅓ) → 는
- 제 이름은 민준이에요. My name is Minjun. 이름 ends in consonant (ㅁ) → 은
The particle 은/는 is often introduced in textbooks as "the subject marker," but this description is inaccurate and will cause confusion in later chapters. 은/는 marks the topic of the sentence — the thing you are making a statement about — which is a different grammatical role from the subject. Topics can be subjects, objects, or other elements, depending on context. Korean has a separate particle for marking subjects, which you will study in Chapter 3. For now, focus on using 저는 and 제 이름은 as topic-marked frames for self-introduction.
Particles attach to nouns. In Korean, grammatical particles like 은/는 attach directly to the end of the noun — there is no space between the noun and its particle. So it is always written 저는, not 저 는. This is one of the fundamental spacing rules in Korean writing, and it applies to all particles throughout the language. Getting this habit right from the very start will serve you well across the entire course.
Practice — 이에요 or 예요?
Decide which copula ending to attach. Write the complete sentence.
- 저는 김유진 ___. (name ends in consonant: 진)
- 저는 나타샤 ___. (name ends in vowel: 샤)
- 저는 토마스 ___. (name ends in consonant: 스)
- 제 이름은 다윗 ___. (name ends in consonant: 윗)
Practice — 저 or 제?
Choose the correct polite first-person form.
- ___는 학생이에요. (I am a student.)
- ___ 이름은 사라예요. (My name is Sara.)
- ___는 선생님이에요. (I am a teacher.)
Model Dialogue
Setting: The entrance of a community language center. First session of a Korean course. Layla, an Egyptian student, meets Tom, an American student. Their instructor, Kim Seongsaengnim, then greets them both.
(김 선생님이 오세요. — Kim Seongsaengnim arrives.)
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What is the teacher's name? What two things does she tell the students about herself?
- How does Tom signal warmth when meeting Layla the first time? Which expression does he use?
- When Layla addresses Tom directly, she uses 톰 씨. What do you think 씨 might mean? (You will study it formally in the next chapter.)
- In the farewell exchange, what does 또 봐요 mean? Which character uses it?
- The instructor says 그럼, 교실에서 봐요. Which part of this sentence can you guess from context, even if you have not studied all the words?
Tom says 저도 반가워요 — "I am also glad to meet you" or "Nice to meet you too." The particle 도 attaches to a noun and means "also" or "too." It replaces, rather than joins, other particles such as 는. So where 저는 means "I (as topic)," 저도 means "I too." You will study 도 systematically in Chapter 7; for now, recognize it as a useful and very common particle.
Listening
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following four short introductions aloud at a moderate pace. Listen twice without reading along. Then answer the questions below.
1. 누르: "안녕하세요? 저는 누르예요. 처음 만나요."
2. 다윗: "안녕하세요. 저는 다윗이에요. 반가워요."
3. 마야: "안녕하세요. 저는 마야예요. 처음 만나요. 반가워요."
4. 학생: "안녕하세요, 선생님. 저는 알리예요."
듣기 과제 — Listening task:
Listen and complete the table.
| Speaker | Name | Greeting used | First-meeting expression used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 2 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 3 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 4 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
추가 질문 — Bonus question: Speaker 4 addresses the listener with the word 선생님 at the end of the greeting. What does this signal about the relationship between Speaker 4 and the person being addressed?
받아쓰기 — Dictation: Your instructor or partner reads each of the following sentences once at a natural speed. Write what you hear in Hangeul. Then check against the text above.
- (sentence 1 from the listening text)
- (sentence 3 from the listening text)
Reading
Read the following three name badges from the language center's registration table. Then answer the questions below.
배지 1 — Student
이름: 사라 아마드
학생
배지 2 — Student
이름: 벤자민 스미스
학생
배지 3 — Instructor
이름: 김지수
한국어 선생님
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- 선생님 이름이 뭐예요? (What is the instructor's name?)
- Is Benjamin Smith a student or an instructor? How do you know from the badge?
- What language does Kim Jisu teach? Where on the badge does this information appear?
- If you wanted to introduce yourself to Kim Jisu, which copula ending would you use after your name — 이에요 or 예요? How do you know?
선생님 literally means "teacher" and functions as a respectful title in Korean, used for teachers, certain medical professionals, and other figures of expertise or authority. When addressing an instructor, students typically say 선생님 — with or without the family name — rather than using the instructor's given name. Like all Korean titles, 선생님 is never used by the teacher about herself in self-introduction: Kim Jisu would say 저는 김지수예요, not a form that attaches 선생님 to her own name.
Hangeul reading practice
The following syllables use only the vowels and consonants introduced in this chapter. Read each one aloud, then identify the constituent jamo (individual letters) before checking yourself.
아 이 우 오 으 나 마 하 가 노 무 히 아이 우리 아니
The last three items are real Korean words: 아이 means "child," 우리 means "we / our," and 아니 is an informal "no" or "not" — a preview of vocabulary you will use in future chapters.
Writing Workshop
In this chapter you will produce two short pieces of writing: a name badge and a brief self-introduction. Use only Hangeul — with romanization support where needed for sounds not yet covered — and the vocabulary and grammar introduced in this chapter.
- Study the model. Look at Badge 1 above. Identify the field for the name (이름) and the field for the role (학생). Notice that particles are attached directly to their nouns: the label 이름 has no trailing particle in isolation, because it is a label rather than part of a sentence.
- Write your name badge. Write your own name in Hangeul if possible, or use romanization where you are still learning unfamiliar sounds. Include your role: 학생 (student).
- Write your self-introduction. Write three complete sentences: a greeting, your name using 저는 [이름]이에요/예요, and a first-meeting expression from the vocabulary section.
- Introduce another person. Using Badge 2, write one sentence introducing Benjamin Smith. Begin with: 벤자민 스미스 씨는 학생이에요.
- Revise. Check your draft against the editing checklist below, paying particular attention to particle spacing, syllable-block construction, and the correct copula ending.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- I wrote Hangeul syllable blocks correctly — vowels in the correct position relative to consonants.
- I attached the topic particle 은/는 directly to the noun with no space.
- I chose 이에요 or 예요 correctly based on whether the name ends in a consonant or vowel.
- I used 저 (not 나) as the polite first-person subject.
- I used 제 (not 내) when meaning "my."
- I used an appropriate greeting at the start of my introduction.
- I included a first-meeting expression to close my introduction.
- I ended each sentence with a period (.) or question mark (?) as appropriate.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice
With a partner, take turns asking and answering these questions. Use your real name or invent a role. Switch roles after each round.
- 안녕하세요? 이름이 뭐예요?
- 저는 [이름]이에요/예요. 처음 만나요.
- 반가워요. — respond with 저도 반가워요.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: First meetings
Move around the room and introduce yourself to four different people, as if you had all just arrived at the language center for the first time. For each person:
- Greet them with 안녕하세요?
- Give your name using 저는 [이름]이에요/예요.
- Use 처음 만나요 or 반가워요.
- Ask their name: 이름이 뭐예요?
- Respond to their name with 반가워요 and say goodbye with 또 봐요.
Check yourself: did you use 이에요 or 예요 correctly after your own name each time?
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Create two imagined Korean speakers — give each a name (Korean or otherwise) and a role. Record yourself playing both sides of a first meeting at a language class. Include: an opening greeting, a name exchange, a first-meeting expression, and a farewell. Listen back and identify: did you choose the correct copula ending? Did you use 저 throughout?
Culture and Communication
안녕하세요? is built from the word 안녕, which means "peace," "wellbeing," or "safety," and the formal verb ending that turns it into a polite question: "Are you at peace?" or "Are you well?" Over time it became the standard everyday polite greeting for virtually any situation — morning, afternoon, or evening; first meeting or daily encounter; formal or casual context. Unlike the Japanese greeting はじめまして, which is reserved for first meetings only, 안녕하세요? can be used every time you see someone.
The word 안녕 on its own also appears in farewell expressions (안녕히 가세요, 안녕히 계세요), and among close friends and family members, simply saying 안녕! — without the polite ending — functions as a casual "hi" or "bye." You will see this distinction more clearly once you study speech levels later in the course.
Korean names are typically written and spoken family name first, given name second: in the name 김지수, 김 is the family name and 지수 is the given name. In everyday spoken Korean, people are often addressed by their full name plus a courtesy title, by their family name plus a title, or — in close relationships — by their given name with an appropriate level marker. Using only a given name without any marker is common among close friends and between people with a clear age or seniority relationship, but it is not the appropriate default for new acquaintances. Titles and address terms are an important system in Korean that this course will develop gradually.
Korean is spoken by people in South Korea, North Korea, and diaspora communities across East Asia, the Americas, Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. The speakers in today's listening and dialogue sections come from a variety of backgrounds — reflecting the genuine diversity of people who learn, use, and are connected to Korean around the world. This course teaches contemporary Standard Korean as used in South Korea as the productive foundation, but Korean-speaking communities are varied in their histories, regional backgrounds, and language practices. The course will introduce you to that variation respectfully and with clear labeling as you progress.
This course teaches contemporary Standard Korean as used in South Korea. While 안녕하세요? is understood and used across all Korean-speaking contexts, speakers from different regions of South Korea may have distinct intonation patterns, vocabulary choices, and even greeting conventions in casual speech. The Gyeongsang region (in the southeast), the Jeolla region (in the southwest), and the Jeju island variety all have recognizable spoken characteristics. These regional differences will appear in the course as receptive and cultural content, clearly labeled, as your proficiency develops. The productive standard you are building now will serve as a shared foundation understood across all these communities.
Common Mistakes
Error: 저는 사라이에요. (using 이에요 after 사라, which ends in a vowel)
Correction: 저는 사라예요. — After a syllable ending in a vowel, use 예요, not 이에요. The rule is consistent: consonant-final → 이에요; vowel-final → 예요.
Error: 저 는 톰이에요. (space between 저 and 는)
Correction: 저는 톰이에요. — In Korean, particles attach directly to the noun they follow with no space. This is one of the core spacing rules of Korean and applies to all particles throughout the language.
Error: 나는 사라예요. (using the casual 나 in an everyday polite introduction)
Correction: 저는 사라예요. — The polite first-person form is 저. Using 나 in a polite context — especially with a teacher or new acquaintance — sounds abrupt and inappropriately casual in Korean.
Error: Writing a vowel such as ㅏ alone without the silent ㅇ as the initial consonant placeholder
Correction: Every Korean syllable block must have a letter in the initial consonant position. When a syllable begins with a vowel sound, write the silent ㅇ in initial position: 아, not the bare jamo ㅏ. A bare vowel jamo written alone is not a valid syllable block in Korean.
Error: Pronouncing 레일라 with an English rolling "r" at the start of 레, or with a hard English "l."
Correction: The Korean consonant ㄹ in syllable-initial position is a light flap of the tongue tip — closer to the "r" sound in Spanish para than to English "r" or "l." Avoid adding friction or rolling the sound. Your tongue taps once, briefly, just behind the upper front teeth.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. Write the Korean expression for each: hello/how are you · nice to meet you (first time) · I am glad to meet you · goodbye (to someone leaving) · goodbye (to someone staying) · see you again · thank you (everyday polite) · you're welcome.
2. What is the difference in meaning between 처음 만나요 and 반가워요? Can they be used together?
3. What is the difference between 저 and 제? Give one example sentence for each.
4. How do you ask someone's name in everyday polite Korean? Write the complete sentence.
5. Name two classroom expressions you can use if you do not understand or need the instructor to slow down.
Section B — 한글과 문법 (Hangeul and Grammar)
1. Name the five simple Korean vowels introduced in this chapter. Write each as it appears in a syllable block with the silent ㅇ.
2. What is a syllable block? Why does every Korean syllable block need a letter in the initial consonant position, even when the syllable begins with a vowel sound?
3. Complete each sentence with 이에요 or 예요:
- 저는 나타샤 ___.
- 저는 민준 ___.
- 이분은 선생님 ___.
4. Why is 은/는 called a topic particle rather than a subject marker? Give a one-sentence explanation.
5. Correct the error in each:
- 나는 레일라예요. (spoken to a new classmate you have just met)
- 저 는 톰이에요.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading comprehension)
1. Look at Badge 3 again. What is Kim Jisu's role, and where exactly does the badge indicate this?
2. In the model dialogue, Kim Seongsaengnim says 저는 김지수예요. 선생님이에요. She gives two pieces of information. What are they?
3. Why does Kim Seongsaengnim use 예요 after 김지수 but 이에요 after 선생님?
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write a three-sentence self-introduction: an opening greeting, your name using 저는 [이름]이에요/예요, and a first-meeting expression. Use Hangeul throughout and check against the editing checklist in the Writing Workshop.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Without looking at the book, greet a partner, introduce yourself, ask their name, respond with 반가워요, and say goodbye. Your partner then does the same with you.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
Complete Speaker B's lines to make a natural exchange at a language class meeting. Speaker A's lines are already written.
A: 안녕하세요? 저는 김민수예요. 이름이 뭐예요?
B: ______________________________________
A: 반가워요, ___ 씨.
B: ______________________________________
A: 그럼, 또 봐요.
B: ______________________________________
Chapter Performance Task
수행 과제
이름 카드 — Language identity card
You have been asked to prepare a short introduction for a welcome board at the language center. Complete the following tasks:
- Written: Create a name badge for yourself, written in Hangeul, including your name and your role (학생).
- Written: Write a three-sentence self-introduction to accompany the badge. Use 안녕하세요?, 저는 [이름]이에요/예요, and one first-meeting expression. Check it against the editing checklist.
- Spoken: Read your introduction aloud to a partner or record it. Your partner responds with their own name and 반가워요. Both of you then say goodbye using an expression from the vocabulary section.
- Reflection: Write one sentence in English identifying one thing you found straightforward and one thing you want to improve.
Assessment focus: correct Hangeul syllable blocks, appropriate greeting and closing, correct copula form (이에요/예요), correct use of 저 vs. 제, particle spacing, natural delivery in spoken practice.
Answer Key
Practice — 이에요 or 예요?
1. 저는 김유진이에요. (진 ends in consonant ㄴ) 2. 저는 나타샤예요. (샤 ends in vowel ㅏ) 3. 저는 토마스예요. (스 ends in vowel ㅡ) 4. 제 이름은 다윗이에요. (윗 ends in consonant ㅅ)
Practice — 저 or 제?
1. 저는 학생이에요. 2. 제 이름은 사라예요. 3. 저는 선생님이에요.
Dialogue — Comprehension
- The teacher's name is Kim Jisu (김지수). She tells them her name and that she is the teacher (선생님이에요).
- Tom uses 처음 만나요 — the expression for meeting someone for the very first time.
- 씨 is a courtesy title attached after a name, used when addressing or referring to someone politely. It will be studied fully in Chapter 2.
- 또 봐요 means "see you again." Layla and Tom use it together at the end of the exchange.
- The phrase 교실에서 봐요 can be guessed from context as "see you in the classroom" — learners may recognize 봐요 from 또 봐요 and connect 교실 with the classroom setting.
Listening
- 1 — 누르 — 안녕하세요? — 처음 만나요
- 2 — 다윗 — 안녕하세요 — 반가워요
- 3 — 마야 — 안녕하세요 — 처음 만나요, 반가워요 (both used)
- 4 — 알리 — 안녕하세요, 선생님 — (no first-meeting expression; addresses listener as 선생님)
Bonus: Speaker 4 addresses the listener as 선생님, indicating the listener is in a teacher or authority role and the relationship is not between peers.
Reading — Comprehension
- The instructor's name is 김지수 (Kim Jisu).
- Benjamin Smith is a student; his badge reads 학생 rather than 선생님.
- Kim Jisu teaches Korean (한국어); this appears on the second line of Badge 3.
- You would use 예요 — because the name Kim Jisu (김지수) ends in the vowel 수 (the final sound is ㅜ, a vowel; no batchim).
Chapter Review — Section A
- 안녕하세요? · 처음 만나요 · 반가워요 · 안녕히 가세요 · 안녕히 계세요 · 또 봐요 · 고마워요 · 천만에요
- 처음 만나요 specifically signals a first meeting; 반가워요 expresses warmth and gladness at the encounter and can be used more broadly. The two are often said together at first meetings.
- 저 is the polite "I" used as subject or topic (example: 저는 학생이에요); 제 is the polite "my" (example: 제 이름은 사라예요).
- 이름이 뭐예요?
- 다시 한 번 해 주세요 (please repeat) and 천천히 말해 주세요 (please speak slowly).
Chapter Review — Section B
- 아 이 우 오 으 이 → as syllable blocks: 아 이 우 오 으 이
- A syllable block is a compact written unit in Korean containing at least one consonant and one vowel. Every block must have a letter in the initial consonant position because Korean syllable blocks cannot begin with a bare vowel letter; ㅇ serves as the silent placeholder when the syllable begins with a vowel sound.
- (a) 저는 나타샤예요. (샤 ends in vowel) (b) 저는 민준이에요. (준 ends in consonant) (c) 이분은 선생님이에요. (님 ends in consonant)
- 은/는 marks the topic of a sentence — the thing being commented on — which may or may not be the grammatical subject; Korean has a separate particle for marking subjects.
- (a) → 저는 레일라예요. (b) → 저는 톰이에요. (no space between noun and particle)
Chapter Review — Section C
- Kim Jisu is a Korean-language teacher; this is indicated on the second line of Badge 3: 한국어 선생님.
- She gives her name (김지수) and her role (선생님, teacher).
- 김지수 ends in the vowel 수 → 예요; 선생님 ends in the consonant 님 (batchim ㅁ) → 이에요.
Chapter Review — Section D, model answer
안녕하세요? 저는 [이름]이에요/예요. 처음 만나요. Other accurate and well-formed answers are equally acceptable. Check against the editing checklist in the Writing Workshop section.
Cumulative Review — Model responses for Speaker B
B: 안녕하세요? 저는 [이름]이에요/예요. 처음 만나요.
B: 저도 반가워요.
B: 네, 또 봐요.
Exact wording will vary. Check that the response uses the correct copula form, attaches particles without spaces, and maintains everyday polite register throughout.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can greet someone with 안녕하세요?, introduce yourself using 저는 [이름]이에요/예요, ask and answer a basic name question, use 처음 만나요 and 반가워요 at a first meeting, choose correctly between the polite forms 저 and 제, say goodbye in two contextually appropriate ways, and use basic courtesy expressions. You have also learned the five simple Korean vowels, a first set of consonants, and the fundamental structure of Hangeul syllable blocks — including the role of the silent initial ㅇ.