뭐가 필요해요?
mwoga piryohaeyo?
In Korean, "what do you need?" is said as 뭐가 필요해요? (mwoga piryohaeyo?)
This phrase is used to ask someone what items or assistance they require.
Which one should you use?
The default form 뭐가 필요해요? is polite and suitable for most everyday social situations with strangers or acquaintances. For highly formal or professional or very stiff settings, use 무엇이 필요합니까? If you are speaking with close friends or people younger than you, use the informal version 뭐가 필요해? or 뭐 필요해?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 뭐가 필요해? is the casual/informal version used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
mwoga piryohaeyo?
Did you know?
- When asking what someone needs, Koreans often omit the subject 'you' entirely. Including a word for 'you' like 당신 can actually sound confrontational or like a line from a movie.
- In Korean culture, if you ask a guest 뭐가 필요해요?, it is often more polite to follow up by offering something specific, like water or tea, rather than waiting for them to name an object.
- If you are asking a close friend what they need, you can often replace the word 뭐 with the even more clipped, spoken form 머. It is very common in rapid, casual Seoul speech to shorten vowels like this.
Examples in context
- 무엇이 필요하신가요?What do you need?
- 요리할 때 뭐가 필요해요?yorihal ttae mwoga piryohaeyo?What do you need when cooking?
- 지금 뭐가 필요해요?jigeum mwoga piryohaeyo?What do you need right now?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is helping Jieun move into her new apartment.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은 씨, 지금 뭐가 필요해요?Jieun ssi, jigeum mwoga piryohaeyo?Jieun, what do you need right now?
- 지은 Ji-eun박스 테이프가 필요해요.bakseu teipeuga piryohaeyo.I need some box tape.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo가방에 있어요. 여기요.gabange isseoyo. yeogiyo.It's in my bag. Here it is.
- 지은 Ji-eun고마워요, 현우 씨.gomawoyo, Hyunwoo ssi.Thank you, Hyunwoo.
