New Colleague? Ask Their Nationality Like a K-Drama Pro!

Hello! This is [Maeil Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!

Have you ever met a new person at work or in a class and wanted to ask where they’re from? Today, we’re going to learn the most essential phrases for asking and answering about nationality. It’s super useful for making new friends!

Nowadays in Korea, many office workers are buzzing about the hit K-drama ‘Seoul Office Love,’ which features a diverse team with members from all over the world. You might find yourself in a similar situation! Let’s learn how to break the ice just like the characters in the show.

Core Expressions You Need to Know

Here are three key phrases to get you started.

1. 어느 나라 사람이에요? (eoneu nara saram-ieyo?)

• Romanization: Eoneu nara saram-ieyo?
• English Meaning: Which country are you from? (Literally: Which country’s person are you?)
• Detailed Explanation: This is the most standard and polite way to ask someone their nationality. It’s perfect for when you’re meeting someone for the first time, regardless of their age.
  • 어느 (eoneu) means ‘which’.
  • 나라 (nara) means ‘country’.
  • 사람 (saram) means ‘person’.
  • 이에요 (ieyo) is the polite ending ‘is/am/are’.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  For questions, your voice should go up slightly at the end of the sentence. Try saying saram-ieyo? with a rising intonation to make it sound like a natural question!

2. 저는 [나라 이름] 사람이에요. (Jeoneun [Country Name] saram-ieyo.)

• Romanization: Jeoneun [Country Name] saram-ieyo.
• English Meaning: I am from [Country Name]. (Literally: I am a [Country Name] person.)

• Detailed Explanation: This is the perfect answer to the question above. Simply insert your country’s name in the blank! 저는 (Jeoneun) means ‘I am’ or ‘As for me’.

  • Example: 저는 미국 사람이에요. (Jeoneun Miguk saram-ieyo.) -> I am from America.
  • Example: 저는 영국 사람이에요. (Jeoneun Yeongguk saram-ieyo.) -> I am from the U.K.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  Listen closely to the end: 사람이에요 is written as saram-ieyo, but it’s pronounced [sa-ra-mi-e-yo]. Why? The final consonant ㅁ (m) from 사람 (saram) links to the next syllable that starts with a vowel ㅣ(i). This is called liaison (연음 – yeoneum), and it makes your Korean sound much smoother and more natural!

3. 만나서 반가워요. (Mannaseo bangawoyo.)

• Romanization: Mannaseo bangawoyo.
• English Meaning: Nice to meet you.

• Detailed Explanation: After introductions, this is the perfect phrase to use! It’s polite, friendly, and essential for any first meeting. 만나서 (mannaseo) means ‘because we meet’ and 반가워요 (bangawoyo) means ‘it is nice/I am glad’.

• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  The first sound in 반가워요 (bangawoyo) is ㅂ (b). At the beginning of a word, this sound is somewhere between an English ‘b’ and ‘p’. It’s not a strong, airy ‘p’, but a softer, unaspirated sound. Try to say it without a puff of air.

Example Dialogue

Let’s see these expressions in action! Imagine two colleagues, Sumin and John, meeting for the first time in their company’s Korean language class.

A (Sumin): 안녕하세요, 저는 수민이에요.
(Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Sumin-ieyo.)
Hello, I’m Sumin.

B (John): 안녕하세요, 저는 존이에요. 만나서 반가워요.
(Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Jon-ieyo. Mannaseo bangawoyo.)
Hello, I’m John. Nice to meet you.

A (Sumin): 네, 만나서 반가워요. 존 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요?
(Ne, mannaseo bangawoyo. Jon ssi-neun eoneu nara saram-ieyo?)
Yes, nice to meet you, too. John, where are you from?

B (John): 저는 미국 사람이에요. 수민 씨는 한국 사람이지요?
(Jeoneun Miguk saram-ieyo. Sumin ssi-neun Hanguk saram-ijiyo?)
I’m from America. You’re Korean, right?

A (Sumin): 네, 맞아요!
(Ne, majayo!)
Yes, that’s right!

Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive

In K-dramas like ‘Seoul Office Love,’ you’ll notice that asking about someone’s background is a very common way to start a conversation and show interest. This is very true in real life, too!

• Be a Conversation Starter: After you say, “저는 미국 사람이에요,” you can add a little more information to be extra friendly. For example: “저는 미국 사람이에요. 뉴욕에서 왔어요.” (I’m from America. I came from New York.) This invites the other person to ask more questions and keeps the conversation flowing.
• A Sign of Friendship: In Korea, asking about your nationality or home country is seen as a sign of genuine curiosity and a desire to get to know you better. It’s a way of welcoming you and showing that they are interested in your story. So don’t be shy!

Let’s Wrap It Up & Practice!

Great job today! You’ve learned how to ask and answer about nationality in polite Korean. You can now confidently introduce yourself to new Korean friends and colleagues.

Now it’s your turn to practice!

1. Fill in the blank:

A: _________________ 사람이에요?
B: 저는 프랑스 사람이에요. (I’m from France.)

2. Make a sentence:

How would you say, “I am from Canada” in Korean?

Leave your answers in the comments below using the expressions we learned today. We can’t wait to meet you