무언가
mueon'ga[muʌ̹nɡa̠]
In Korean, something is 무언가 (mueon'ga). Wiktionary also lists 뭔가 (mwon'ga) and 무엇인가 (mueosin'ga).
Meaning: unspecified object (pron)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 무언가 | mueon'ga | [muʌ̹nɡa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 뭔가 | mwon'ga | |
| 무엇인가 | mueosin'ga |
This pronoun refers to an unspecified object.
Which one should you use?
뭔가 is a more common, contracted form used in everyday spoken Korean. In contrast, 무엇인가 is the full, uncontracted form and sounds more formal or literary than the contracted versions.
How do you pronounce it?
mueon'ga
Did you know?
- If you are trying to remember 'something' but cannot, Koreans often use 거시기 instead of 뭔가. This is a placeholder word that functions similarly to 'thingamajig' in English.
- The uncontracted form 무언가 can also be a noun meaning 'a song without words'. This is because it shares the same spelling as the Sino-Korean word for 'wordless song'.
- When using the formal 무엇인가, it is frequently found in the titles of philosophical or poetic essays. This version sounds much more profound and abstract than the conversational 뭔가.
Examples in context
- 뭔가 할 말이 있니?Is there something you want to tell me?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has something to say.Tatoeba #8404061 by Eunhee, translation #1553426 by CK
- 난 뭔가 마시고 싶다.I'd like something to drink.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to drink something.Tatoeba #3681107 by JangSungHyuk, translation #25194 by human600
- 톰은 뭔가를 외치고 있어.Tom is shouting something.This sentence is useful for describing someone shouting something.Tatoeba #8366927 by Eunhee, translation #8366865 by CK
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are looking at a strange box.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo상자 안에 무언가 들어 있어요.sangja ane mueonga deureo isseoyo.There is something inside the box.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말요? 빨리 열어 보세요.jeongmallyo? ppalli yeoreo boseyo.Really? Please open it quickly.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo무언가 반짝거리는 것 같아요.mueonga banjjakgeorineun geot gatayo.I think something is sparkling.
- 수빈 Su-bin무엇인지 너무 궁금해요.mueosinji neomu gunggeumhaeyo.I'm so curious what it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “something” translations and entries 무언가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 무언가, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
