How to say “What's your name?” in Korean
- 이름이 뭐예요?ireumi mwoyeyo?
What's your name?
"What's your name?" in Korean is 이름이 뭐예요? (ireumi mwoyeyo?), a polite question you can ask most people your age. For someone older or a customer, use the honorific 성함이 어떻게 되세요? (seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?).
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 이름이 뭐예요 ireumi mwoyeyo | Polite | The standard polite question. Good for classmates, new friends and people around your age. |
| 이름이 어떻게 되세요 ireumi eotteoke doeseyo | Polite | Softer and more respectful. Literally "how does your name go?" |
| 성함이 어떻게 되세요 seonghami eotteoke doeseyo | Formal | Very respectful, using the honorific word for name. Used with elders and by staff with customers. |
| 이름이 뭐야 ireumi mwoya | Casual | To children or people clearly younger than you. |
| 이름 뭐야 ireum mwoya | Casual | An even more relaxed version, dropping the particle. |
Examples
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Meeting a new classmate
A hotel clerk checking you in
Talking to a child at the park
Tips
Koreans avoid using "you" with people they just met, so the polite question simply says "name is what?" without a word for "your".
성함 is the honorific word for name. Never use it about yourself. For your own name, always use 이름.
Do not use 너 (you) with adults you do not know well. It is only for close friends and younger people.
More on 이름이 뭐예요 in our Korean phrase guides.
Questions learners ask
How do you answer "what's your name" in Korean?
Say 제 이름은 ___예요 (je ireumeun ___yeyo) if your name ends in a vowel, or ___이에요 (___ieyo) if it ends in a consonant.
What is the most polite way to ask someone's name in Korean?
성함이 어떻게 되세요? (seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?) is the most respectful. Use it with elders, customers and anyone senior.