Taemin 태민
Taemin name meaning: “big + jade-like stone” (泰珉)
Taemin is a Korean given name, most often given to boys. In hangul it is written 태민. Like most Korean names it can also be written in hanja, and the characters chosen decide what it means — the same sound can be written 925 different ways.
Taemin of SHINee: Lee Tae-min is the youngest member of SHINee and a solo artist — Taemin is his real given name, not a stage name.
About the name Taemin
Taemin (태민) is a two-syllable Korean name, also written as Tae-min. The hyphenated form Tae-min clearly separates the two syllables, which can be helpful for those unfamiliar with Korean pronunciation. The first syllable, Tae (태), is associated with the sound element of fire and can be formed with hanja such as 泰 or 太, both meaning "big." The second syllable, Min (민), relates to the sound element of water, with hanja like 珉 (jade-like stone), 旻 (autumn sky), or 敏 (agile) often used.
Combining these, a name like 泰珉 would evoke a sense of "big jade-like stone," while 太敏 could suggest "big and agile." Another option, 兌旼, could mean "joyful and harmonious." Taemin is mostly given to boys. As verified, this is the real given name of Lee Tae-min, the youngest member of SHINee and a solo artist. When choosing this name, the specific hanja selection is what gives it a fixed meaning and distinct character.
Other spellings
The same name is romanized in several ways: Taemin, Tae-min. They are all 태민.
How to pronounce Taemin
Say it as teh-meen (2 syllables). Korean doesn't stress one syllable the way English does, so give each beat roughly the same weight rather than saying TEH-meen.
- "ae" and "e" sound the same in modern Seoul Korean, like the "e" in "bed".
The recording is a synthesized standard Seoul voice; the respelling above is an English approximation of it. More on the rules: how to pronounce Korean names. To hear more spoken Korean, try Korean greetings with audio.
Five Elements (Ohaeng)
In Korean naming tradition each syllable carries an element, decided by the consonant it starts with. This is what a name sounds like in terms of energy.
- 태 (starts with ㅌ)→Firebrightness, passion, visibility
- 민 (starts with ㅁ)→Waterdepth, adaptability, quiet strength
Hanja used for Taemin
These are hanja characters legally registrable for each syllable, with their dictionary meanings. A parent picks one character per syllable, and that combination becomes the written meaning of the name.
태25 characters can be used
- 泰big클 태
- 太big클 태
- 兌exchange, joy바꿀 태/기쁠 태
- 汰sift일 태
- 台star, typhoon별 태/태풍 태
- 脫rejoice기뻐할 태
- 態appearance모습 태
- 殆almost, dangerous거의 태/위태할 태
민37 characters can be used
- 珉jade-like stone옥돌 민
- 旻autumn sky가을 하늘 민
- 旼harmonious, sky화할 민/하늘 민
- 敏agile민첩할 민
- 玟beautiful stone아름다운 돌 민
- 愍worry근심할 민
- 岷mountain name산 이름 민
- 民people백성 민
Taemin name FAQ
- What does Taemin mean in Korean?
- A popular way to write Taemin (태민) is 泰 (big) + 珉 (jade-like stone), giving the meaning "big + jade-like stone". The meaning depends on the hanja the parents choose — 태민 can be written 925 different ways.
- Is Taemin a Korean name?
- Yes. Taemin is a Korean given name written 태민 in hangul, mostly given to boys.
- How do you write Taemin in Korean?
- In hangul it is 태민; a common hanja spelling is 泰珉. It is also romanized as Tae-min.
- What element is the name Taemin?
- By its sounds, Taemin carries Fire + Water in the Five Elements (Ohaeng) of Korean naming.
Names sharing a syllable
Taemin belongs to someone else. Yours is drawn from your own birth chart — the four pillars of your birth date and hour decide which elements your name should carry.
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