지금 뭐 해?
The English phrase "what are you doing now?" is translated into Korean as 지금 뭐 해?
This phrase can be used both to ask about a person's current physical activity and as a casual way to start a conversation, similar to "What's up?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 지금 (now), 뭐 (what) and 해? (do/are doing).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
지금 뭐 해? is a common informal way to ask 'What are you doing now?' among friends and peers. For people you are not close with or those older than you, you can use the polite form 지금 뭐 해요? by adding the polite ending -요. In professional settings or news broadcasts, the highly formal version 지금 무엇을 하고 있습니까? is used. Alternatively, 지금 무엇을 하고 계세요? is a formal way to ask 'What are you doing now?'
Did you know?
- Depending on the intonation, 지금 뭐 해? can be used as a rhetorical expression of disbelief or criticism when someone is doing something strange or wrong.
- If a Korean person replies to 지금 뭐 해? with 그냥 (just), it often signals that they are not doing anything important and are open to suggestions.
- The word 지금 (now) contains a hidden meaning of 'only now', stemming from the Hanja characters meaning 'only' and 'now'.
Examples in context
- 선생님, 지금 무엇을 하고 계세요?Teacher, what are you doing now?
- 선생님, 지금 어떤 일을 하고 계신가요?Teacher, what kind of work are you doing now?
- 친구야, 지금 뭐 해?Hey friend, what are you doing now?
- 언니, 지금 뭐 하고 있어?Sister, what are you doing now?
- 지금 뭐 해?jigeum mwo hae?What are you doing now?
- 친구한테 지금 뭐 해?라고 물어봤어.chinguhante jigeum mwo hae? rago muleobwasseo.I asked my friend, 'What are you doing now?'
- 지은아, 지금 뭐 해?jieuna, jigeum mwo hae?Jieun, what are you doing now?
Example conversation
Jihoon calls Jieun on the phone to check on her.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은아, 지금 뭐 해?jieuna, jigeum mwo hae?Jieun, what are you doing now?
- 지은 Ji-eun그냥 집에서 쉬고 있어.geunyang jibeseo swigo isseo.I'm just resting at home.
- 지훈 Ji-hun나랑 같이 영화 볼래?narang gachi yeonghwa bollae?Do you want to watch a movie with me?
- 지은 Ji-eun좋아, 지금 갈게!joa, jigeum galge!Sure, I'll go now!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 지금, 해, CC BY-SA 4.0.
