이름이 뭐예요?

When to use

This is the most common and polite way to ask for someone's name when you don't know it. It's suitable for most introductory situations.

How it works

This question is formed by '이름' (ireum - name), the topic particle '이' (i), and the polite interrogative '뭐예요?' (mwoyeyo? - what is it?).

• 이름 (ireum): Noun for 'name'.
• 이 (i): Topic particle attached to nouns ending in a consonant. It marks 'name' as the topic of the sentence.
• 뭐예요? (mwoyeyo?): A contraction of '무엇이에요?' (mueosieyo?), meaning 'What is it?'. The '-예요' ending is the polite informal speech level (-아요/-어요) used for questions.

Speech Level

The '-예요' ending indicates the polite informal speech level (해요체 - haeyoche). This is widely used in everyday conversation and is polite enough for most situations, including meeting new people.

Sound Changes

The final 'ㅁ' (m) of '이름' (ireum) is followed by the vowel '이' (i). This results in a smooth liaison: '이르미' (ireumi). The '뭐' (mwo) is pronounced clearly.

Omitted Subject/Object

The subject '당신의' (dangsinui - your) is omitted, which is natural in Korean when the context makes it clear whose name is being asked.

Notes

A standard, polite way to ask someone's name during introductions.