🌏 Talking About Nationalities – Beginner Level (TOPIK 1–2)

If you're traveling, studying, or working in Korea, it's helpful to know how to say your nationality and ask about others'. In this post, you’ll learn essential expressions to talk about where you're from in Korean – the polite way!

📌 Basic Vocabulary

Country	Nationality	Romanization
한국 (Korea)	한국 사람	Hanguk saram
미국 (USA)	미국 사람	Miguk saram
영국 (UK)	영국 사람	Yeongguk saram
일본 (Japan)	일본 사람	Ilbon saram
중국 (China)	중국 사람	Jungguk saram
프랑스 (France)	프랑스 사람	Peurangseu saram

💬 Key Sentence Patterns

저는 [country] 사람이에요. – I am from [country].
어느 나라 사람이에요? – What is your nationality?
[Name] 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요? – Where is [Name] from?

🗣️ Example Sentences

1. 저는 미국 사람이에요.
(Jeoneun Miguk saram-ieyo.) – I’m American.

2. 민수 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요?
(Minsu-ssineun eoneu nara saram-ieyo?) – What country is Minsu from?

3. 제 친구는 일본 사람이에요.
(Je chinguneun Ilbon saram-ieyo.) – My friend is Japanese.

💡 Did You Know?

South Korea has a unique tradition of using specific “Korean age” (called 세는나이) alongside international age. As of 2023, Korea has adopted the global age system legally, but in daily life, you may still hear people using “Korean age”! Always double-check which one is being used, especially when talking about birthdays.

💬 Practice Dialogue

A: 안녕하세요! 저는 리사예요. 미국 사람이에요.
B: 안녕하세요! 저는 지민이에요. 한국 사람이에요.
A: 반갑습니다, 지민 씨!
B: 네, 반가워요!

💬 Practice Korean with Me on italki!

Do you want to practice introducing yourself and asking about others in Korean? Book a fun 1-on-1 Korean session with me and speak confidently from day one! 👉 Book your lesson on italki

Final Thoughts:
Knowing how to talk about nationalities in Korean is a great way to start a conversation and make friends! Try practicing your nationality and ask others where they are from – you’ll learn more about the language and culture along the way! 🏳️‍🌈 Let’s keep learning Korean together!

📥 Stay Connected!

🔖
📨
🔔 Subscribe to the blog