Meeting someone for the first time

The three sentences of an introduction

A first meeting in Korea runs on three fixed sentences, and people say all three in a row. 처음 뵙겠습니다 – literally I see you for the first time – opens it. Then the name: 저는 안나예요 or, more formally, 안나입니다. Then 만나서 반갑습니다, glad to meet you, answered with 저도 (me too) and the same phrase. The closing line, 잘 부탁드립니다, has no English equivalent: it asks the other person to look kindly on you from now on, and it is said at the start of anything shared – a job, a class, a project.

The classroom phrases you need on day one

Four requests carry a learner through any lesson. 다시 한번 말씀해 주세요 – please say it once more. 천천히 말씀해 주세요 – please speak slowly. 질문 있어요 – I have a question. And the two honest answers: 알겠어요 when you have understood, 모르겠어요 when you have not. 말씀 is the respectful word for speech, so these requests are safe with any teacher.

처음 뵙겠습니다, 김민수입니다How do you do, I am Kim Minsu.

앞으로 잘 부탁드립니다I look forward to working with you.