뭐 해?
The English phrase "what are you doing?" is translated into Korean as 뭐 해?
It is appropriate to use this phrase with close friends, acquaintances or people of a similar age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 뭐, which means "what" and 해, which is the informal conjugation of the verb 하다, meaning "to do".
Which one should you use?
In contrast, if you want to be more polite, you can use 뭐 해요? or the highly formal version 뭐 하십니까?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
뭐 해? is an informal way to say "What are you doing?" and should only be used with close friends, siblings or people younger than you. For speaking to people you are not close with or who are older than you, use the polite form 뭐 해요? The version 뭐 하십니까? is highly formal and is used in professional settings, news broadcasts or when addressing someone of much higher social status.
Did you know?
- In texting culture, Koreans often shorten 뭐 해? to just the consonant ㅁㅎ to save time and effort.
- While 뭐 해? literally asks about your current action, Koreans often use it as a casual way to say 'hello' or to start a conversation, much like 'what's up?' in English.
- In romantic relationships, 뭐 해? is often used as a 'ping' to start a conversation when one person is missing the other, rather than a genuine inquiry about their schedule.
Examples in context
- 지금 뭐 해?jigeum mwo hae?What are you doing now?
- 집에서 뭐 해?jibeseo mwo hae?What are you doing at home?
- 혼자 뭐 해?honja mwo hae?What are you doing alone?
Example conversation
Seoyeon calls Minjun on the phone.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준아, 지금 뭐 해?Minjun-a, jigeum mwo hae?Minjun, what are you doing now?
- 민준 Min-jun그냥 숙제 해.geunyang sukje hae.I'm just doing my homework.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그래? 그럼 나중에 전화해.geurae? geureom najunge jeonhwahae.Really? Then call me later.
- 민준 Min-jun응, 알았어.eung, arasseo.Okay, I will.
