How to Introduce Yourself in Korean

Full Dialogue Walkthrough

Meeting someone casually, then a more formal introduction. Try "Practice as You" and answer each line before checking.

See also: 입니다 vs 이에요

The Core Script

Full Example, Strung Together

안녕하세요, 저는 마이클이에요. 미국 사람이고, 한국어를 공부하고 있어요. 만나서 반갑습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다.

("Hello, I'm Michael. I'm American, and I'm studying Korean. Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.")

Two Real Scenes: First Day at Work vs. a Club Meetup

The script barely changes from one setting to another. What changes is how formal the sentence endings are. Here's the same introduction in two places you're likely to use it:

Every introduction starts with 안녕하세요 — the greeting itself has a page: 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo).

입니다 or 이에요? The 다나까 Rule of Thumb

Sentences ending in -다 sound more formal than sentences ending in -요. Koreans even have a nickname for the formal style: 다나까 (da-na-kka), because every sentence ends in -다 or -까. It's the style of formal occasions — and, famously, of the Korean military. In everyday life people don't talk that way all the time; the softer -요 endings are far more common.

Both columns are polite — the difference is a nuance of formality, not right versus wrong. Notice the last pair: the formal version even picks the more formal word for the meal (점심 식사). For the grammar behind the two endings, see 입니다 vs 이에요.

Adding Optional Details

When Koreans Ask Your Age (and How They Avoid Asking)

Age matters in Korea because it can shape how people speak to each other — see the Korean age system. But people ask about it less than they used to, and many now use polite speech with each other regardless of age or job title.

Asking someone's age straight out can come across as rude, so it usually comes sideways. One classic move is asking which year someone started university — their 학번 (hakbeon). Another is chatting about old TV shows or movies and guessing from what the other person remembers. Either way, it tends to come after some small talk, not in the first minute.

잘 부탁드립니다: One Phrase, Several Meanings

잘 부탁드립니다 doesn't map onto one English phrase, because it doesn't carry just one feeling. Depending on the moment, it can mean wanting a good relationship going forward, being glad to be working together, hoping a shared task goes well, asking for support with something new, or asking someone to handle something carefully on your behalf. English reaches for a different phrase for each of those, so translating it always means picking which one the speaker meant.

Common Mistakes

Related Knowledge

• 입니다 vs 이에요
• 은/는 — the topic marker
• 반말 vs 존댓말