묻다
mutda[ˈmu(ː)t̚t͈a̠]
'to ask' in Korean is 묻다 (mutda).
The phrase is used to describe the act of requesting information from someone by posing a question.
Which one should you use?
The word 묻다 is a homonym in Korean. Depending on the context, it can mean both 'to ask' or 'to bury'. While 묻다 is the dictionary form, common daily conversation often utilizes the compound verb 물어보다 to mean 'to ask a question'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When conjugating the verb 묻다 into the polite present tense, it follows an irregular pattern where the 'ㄷ' changes to 'ㄹ', resulting in the form 물어요.
How do you pronounce it?
mutda
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using the polite present tense of 'to ask', do not use 묻어요. This is an incorrect conjugation. Instead, use the irregular form 물어요.
Did you know?
- While 묻다 means 'to ask', the compound form 물어보다 literally translates to 'ask and see', reflecting a cultural nuance of tentative inquiry.
- The meaning 'to bury' for 묻다 is centuries older than the meaning 'to ask', appearing in the 10th-century text Cheongjeonbeomnyun'ga.
Examples in context
- 저는 궁금한 게 있어서 여쭤봐도 될까요?May I ask you something that I'm curious about?
- 이 문제에 대해 좀 더 질문을 드려도 될까요?May I ask a few more questions about this problem?
- 이거 어떻게 만드는지 친구에게 물어봐야겠어.I need to ask my friend how to make this.
- 길을 묻다.gil-eul mut-da.To ask for directions.
- 그 사람에게 이름을 묻다.geu sa-ram-e-ge i-reum-eul mut-da.To ask that person their name.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are looking for a cafe.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨, 어디로 가야 해요?Minji ssi, eodiro gaya haeyo?Minji, which way should we go?
- 민지 Min-ji저 사람에게 묻다.jeo saram-ege mutda.Let's ask that person.
- 도현 Do-hyeon제가 물어볼게요.jega mureobolgeyo.I will ask.
- 민지 Min-ji네, 그렇게 하세요.ne, geureoke haseyo.Yes, please do that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 묻다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 묻다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
