In this Korean Corner, we will be discussing how to ask and tell someone what country we’re from. This is a particularly simple task, so let’s start!
The easiest way to ask someone where they’re from in Korean is to ask “어느 나라 사람이에요?”. In English, that’s “Which country person are you?”. The translation may sound strange, but it’s definitely to the point.
If you can’t read the sentence, check out our Hangeul alphabet guide for vowels and consonants, or our “reading and writing Hangeul guide”.
Responding to this question is also incredibly simple, as you simply say “[COUNTRY] 사람이에요“, expressing that you are a “___ person”. Here’s a list of some of the countries you may come across or use:
- Korea: 한국
- England: 영국
- America: 미국
- France: 프랑스
- China: 중국
- Australia: 호주
- Japan: 일본
Not only is this way of asking where someone is from formal enough for introductions, but it also allows you to learn basic vocabulary in a flexible way; Korean doesn’t have a translatable word for “English” or “Chinese” in terms of nationalities. This way, you’re learning the names of the countries themselves, which you can reuse in many ways.
So, 어느 나라 사람이에요?
Check out this video for help with pronouncing some of the key phrases we have covered:
