Self Introduction
Introduce your name, nationality, and role using polite speech.
Self-introduction in Korean follows a predictable structure: name, nationality, occupation, and optionally a closing phrase. The full pattern is 안녕하세요. 저는 [name]이에요/예요. [nationality] 사람이에요. [job]이에요. 잘 부탁드립니다. The choice of 이에요 vs 예요 depends on whether the preceding word ends in a consonant or vowel — 이에요 after consonants (학생이에요), 예요 after vowels (의사예요).
잘 부탁드립니다 is a closing phrase with no clean English equivalent. Literally 'please take care of me', it functions in Japanese-influenced Korean business culture similar to よろしくお願いします. It is appropriate in any first-meeting context — at work, in a class, when meeting your partner's family. For English speakers it can feel oddly humble, but it is the expected formal closing for Korean self-introductions, and skipping it can come across as abrupt.
은/는 (Topic Marker)
Use 은/는 after a noun to mark the topic. Use 은 after a consonant, 는 after a vowel.
이/가 (Subject Marker)
Use 이/가 to mark the subject. 이 follows consonants, 가 follows vowels.
Cultural & Language Note
The 은/는 versus 이/가 distinction maps almost perfectly onto Japanese は versus が, which is an enormous advantage. 저는 학생이에요 and 私は学生です carry the same topic-marking nuance, and the contrastive reading of 은/는 works the same way too. English speakers have to learn this distinction from scratch; Japanese speakers largely already have the instinct and mainly need to attach it to new forms.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The particle choice is not the hard part for Japanese speakers — the form is. 은 and 이 attach after a consonant, 는 and 가 after a vowel. 저는 (vowel) but 선생님은 (consonant). Learners also over-use 저 in casual settings; 저 is the humble 'I' and pairs with polite speech, while 나 is the plain form used with friends.