처음 만난 사람과의 한국어 대화

How do you use “씨 (ssi)” after a name in Korean?

씨 follows a name to address someone politely, especially a peer or someone junior: 지수 씨, 김지수 씨. A surname alone, such as 김 씨, is also possible, though context can make it sound distant. For a boss or a teacher, Koreans use a title instead. And never add 씨 to your own name: you say 저는 케빈이에요, not 케빈 씨예요.

The clip is a model first meeting between two adults and shows both sides of the rule. The two speakers introduce themselves with bare names, 저는 지수예요 and 저는 케빈이에요, then switch to 씨 as soon as they turn to each other: 지수 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요?, 케빈 씨는 어느 나라 사람이에요? Using someone’s name with 씨 also stands in for “you,” which Korean tends to avoid in polite talk.