There are so many ways of self-introduction in all languages. The smartest way is to be brief and correct. Here is the minimalist way to introduce yourself in Korean, which is also a surefire way to impress others:
안녕하세요 Hello,
제 이름은 리아입니다 My name is Leah.
미국 사람이에요 I am an American.
There is no chance to make mistakes in these most useful three lines. No need to worry about whether your name or country name ends in a consonant or vowel. Just add 입니다 to your name, and say … 사람이에요 to your country name in Korean.
You can practice speaking or writing your own three-line introduction here. Ask me if you don’t know how to write your country name in Korean.
When you do it right, everything else will quickly follow. Ordinary Koreans are notoriously nosy and will ask you all kinds of personal questions ignoring your individual privacy: Your age, marital status, where you live, your job, number of siblings, etc., etc. For many of you, it can be the first culture shock. So, get ready to be not annoyed by that before you travel to Korea.
In case you want to impress with a bit more charismatic, laconic “aura”, you might simply say “리아라고 합니다.” instead of “제 이름은 리아입니다.” In that case, you need to use “(name)-이라고” if your name ends in a consonant, as opposed to “(name)-라고” for a name ending in a vowel.
- 마리아라고 합니다. [마리아 ends in a vowel ㅏ => add 라고 합니다]
- 흐엉이라고 합니다. [흐엉 ends in a consonant ㅇ => add 이라고 합니다]
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