뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼?
mwo hana mureobwado dwae?
The English phrase "can I ask you something?" is translated into Korean as 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼? (mwo hana mureobwado dwae?)
This phrase is a common conversational opener used to signal that you are transitioning from general small talk to a specific inquiry.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼? literally translates to "Is it okay even if I ask one thing?"
Which one should you use?
The default form 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼? is an informal version, whereas 뭐 좀 물어도 돼? is another informal way to say the same thing. For more formal situations, you might use 물어볼 수 있을까요? or the more hesitant and soft version 뭐 하나 물어봐도 될까요?
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase polite, you can add the suffix 요 to the end to create 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼요? Using the -ㄹ까요? ending to create 뭐 하나 물어봐도 될까요? makes the request sound more hesitant and polite.
How do you pronounce it?
mwo hana mureobwado dwae?
Did you know?
- The verb 물어보다 is a compound of 묻다 ('to ask') and 보다 ('to see'). Literally, it means 'to try asking' or 'to see if one can ask', reflecting a cultural preference for indirectness.
- When using this phrase to ask a favor or a sensitive question, Koreans often add a filler word like 저기 (meaning 'excuse me' or 'over there') at the beginning. This softens the intrusion of the question and signals a shift in the conversation.
- In Korean culture, asking for permission to ask a question is often a vital social lubricant to avoid sounding intrusive. Jumping straight to a question without a phrase like 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼? can sometimes feel abrupt or aggressive.
Examples in context
- 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼?mwo hana mur-eobwado dwae?Can I ask you something?
- 저기, 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼?jeogi, mwo hana mur-eobwado dwae?Hey, can I ask you something?
- 진지하게 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼?jin-ji-hage mwo hana mur-eobwado dwae?Can I ask you something seriously?
Example conversation
Dohyun approaches Jieun at a cafe to ask a personal question.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은아, 뭐 하나 물어봐도 돼?Jieun-a, mwo hana mur-eobwado dwae?Jieun, can I ask you something?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 뭔데?eung, mwon-de?Yeah, what is it?
- 도현 Do-hyeon내일 시간 있어?naeil sigan isseo?Are you free tomorrow?
- 지은 Ji-eun특별한 일 있어?teuk-byeol-han il isseo?Is something special happening?
