How to Say What Is Your Name in Korean: 12+ Phrases for Every Speech Level

The Short Answer

The most common way to ask "what is your name" in Korean is 이름이 뭐예요? (Ireumi mwoyeyo?). This polite form works in most everyday situations, including meeting new acquaintances, social gatherings, and casual first encounters. For formal settings, switch to 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (Seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?), which uses the honorific word for "name."

Korean is spoken by over 80 million people worldwide, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. What makes asking someone's name in Korean uniquely complex is the language's two entirely different words for "name": 이름 (ireum) for everyday use and 성함 (seongham) for honorific contexts. Choosing the wrong one signals either disrespect or awkward over-formality, both of which Koreans notice immediately. Whether you're looking up "what is your name in korean" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"Korean honorifics are not mere stylistic choices. They are grammatically obligatory markers of social relationship, and the lexical distinction between plain and honorific nouns, such as 이름 versus 성함, is central to that system."

(Ho-min Sohn, The Korean Language, Cambridge University Press)

This guide covers 12+ ways to ask and answer "what is your name" in Korean across all three major speech levels, plus the cultural context behind Korean names, from surname-first ordering to hanja meanings and the generational name tradition.

Quick Reference: Korean "What Is Your Name" Phrases

이름 vs. 성함: Two Words for "Name"

Before learning individual phrases, you need to understand why Korean has two separate nouns for "name." This distinction does not exist in English, but it is fundamental to Korean communication.

According to the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원), Korean has an entire layer of honorific vocabulary where everyday nouns are replaced by elevated forms when referring to someone of higher status. 이름 becomes 성함 the same way 나이 (nai, "age") becomes 연세 (yeonse) and 집 (jip, "house") becomes 댁 (daek).

Using 이름 when asking an elderly person their name is a noticeable social error. Conversely, using 성함 to ask a child or a close friend their name would sound absurdly stiff. Brown and Levinson's Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage (1987) identifies this kind of lexical honorific system as one of the most elaborate politeness mechanisms found in any language.

Polite Forms (존댓말)

These are the versions you will use most in daily life. They strike the right balance between respect and warmth for the majority of first encounters.

이름이 뭐예요?

This is the phrase to reach for in most everyday situations, whether meeting a new classmate, a friend's friend at a gathering, or a fellow traveler. The structure is straightforward: 이름 (name) + 이 (subject particle) + 뭐예요 (what is it?). The polite -예요 ending keeps it respectful without formality.

In practice, this question rarely comes alone. Korean introductions follow a natural sequence: greeting, name exchange, and then the age question. A typical exchange might sound like: "안녕하세요, 이름이 뭐예요?" followed by "몇 살이에요?" or "몇 년생이에요?" (What year were you born?). This age question is not rude; it is the essential second step that determines how both speakers will talk to each other going forward.

성함이 어떻게 되세요?

This phrase layers two levels of politeness. First, 성함 replaces the standard 이름. Second, the verb phrase 어떻게 되세요 (how does it become) is an indirect construction that avoids directly asking "what is," resulting in a softer, more deferential approach. You will hear this phrase constantly in Korean service industries: receptionists, bank tellers, hospital staff, and hotel clerks all use it.

The phrasing 어떻게 되세요 deserves special attention. Literally "how does it become?", this construction is Korean's go-to indirect question form for polite inquiries. You will encounter it beyond names: 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요? (What is your phone number?), 생년월일이 어떻게 되세요? (What is your date of birth?). Master this pattern and you unlock polite questions for any topic.

Formal Form (격식체)

Reserved for the most formal contexts: corporate meetings, government proceedings, military settings, and public speeches.

성함이 어떻게 되십니까?

The -십니까 ending is the formal interrogative form, placing this phrase at the top of the formality scale. You will hear it in corporate boardrooms, official government interactions, and television interviews. In everyday life, 성함이 어떻게 되세요? covers virtually all situations where honorific vocabulary is needed, so reserve this form for when the stakes are highest.

Note the pronunciation: 되십니까 sounds like "doe-shim-ni-kka" with the ㅂ nasalizing before ㄴ. This phonological shift is standard in Korean and happens automatically in natural speech.

Casual Forms (반말)

Use these only with people who are confirmed to be your age or younger, and only in informal settings. Using casual speech to ask an older person's name is one of the fastest ways to cause offense in Korean.

이름이 뭐야?

The structure is identical to the polite form except for the ending: 뭐야 replaces 뭐예요. This single syllable change (dropping the -요 politeness particle) shifts the entire social register. Korean university students use this version constantly after the critical age-confirmation exchange. Once two students discover they are 동갑 (donggap, same birth year), switching to casual speech is expected and even welcomed.

너 이름이 뭐야?

Adding 너 (neo, "you") makes the question more pointed and direct. You will often hear this among children on playgrounds and teenagers meeting in casual group settings. Among adults, this level of directness is reserved for people who are already confirmed as same-age peers or when speaking to someone noticeably younger.

How to Respond: Giving Your Name

Knowing how to answer is just as important as knowing how to ask. Korean has distinct response patterns for each speech level.

제 이름은 ...이에요/예요

The choice between 이에요 and 예요 depends on the final sound of the name: 수진이에요 (Sujin, which ends in consonant ㄴ, uses 이에요) versus 유나예요 (Yuna, which ends in a vowel, uses 예요). This consonant/vowel distinction applies to all Korean copula constructions, not just names.

저는 ...입니다

In formal introductions, Koreans almost always give their full name, surname first and given name second. 저는 김민수입니다 means "I am Kim Minsu," with 김 as the surname and 민수 as the given name. This surname-first order is standard across all Korean-speaking contexts.

Response Summary Table

Korean Naming Culture

Understanding Korean names gives you a deeper appreciation for why the name question carries so much cultural weight.

Surname-First Order

Korean names follow the pattern: surname (성, seong) + given name (이름, ireum). A name like 김수진 (Kim Sujin) breaks down as 김 (Kim, surname) + 수진 (Sujin, given name). According to the Academy of Korean Studies (한국학중앙연구원), approximately 300 Korean surnames account for about 95% of the entire population.

This means you will encounter these five surnames in over half of all Korean introductions. When two Koreans share a surname, they often ask about their 본관 (bon-gwan), the ancestral hometown that distinguishes branches of the same clan. There are over 280 different 김 clans alone.

Hanja: The Meaning Behind Names

Most Korean given names are based on 한자 (hanja), Chinese characters that carry specific meanings. The name 수진 (Sujin) might use 秀 (수, "excellent") + 珍 (진, "precious"), making the name mean "excellently precious." Parents spend considerable time selecting hanja combinations with auspicious meanings, sometimes consulting naming specialists or books of fortune.

This is why Koreans often ask 어떤 한자를 써요? (Eotteon hanjareul sseoyo?, "Which Chinese characters do you use?") after learning someone's name. Two names that sound identical in Korean can have completely different hanja and therefore completely different meanings.

돌림자: The Generational Name Tradition

One of the most distinctive Korean naming traditions is 돌림자 (dollimja), the practice of sharing one syllable across all siblings or cousins of the same generation within a clan. For example, if the generational character is 민 (min), brothers might be named 민수 (Minsu), 민호 (Minho), and 민재 (Minjae).

This tradition is fading among younger Korean parents who prefer unique, modern names, but it remains deeply ingrained in Korean family culture. It allows Koreans to identify generational relationships within a family at a glance, a feature that reinforces the Confucian emphasis on family hierarchy and lineage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Practice With Real Korean Content

Reading about name-asking phrases is a strong foundation, but hearing them in authentic Korean conversations is what makes them natural. Korean dramas are an outstanding resource: Crash Landing on You for the contrast between North and South Korean introduction styles, Itaewon Class for casual peer introductions, and Misaeng for formal business introductions where 성함 and 명함 (business cards) dominate.

Wordy lets you watch Korean movies and shows with interactive subtitles, tapping on any phrase to see its meaning, speech level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing name-asking phrases from a list, you absorb them from real conversations with natural intonation and body language.

For more Korean content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn Korean. You can also visit our Korean learning page to start practicing today.