무엇
mueot[muʌ̹t̚]
The Korean word for "what (formal)" is 무엇 (mueot).
무엇 is a pronoun used to ask for information about an object or a concept.
Which one should you use?
While 무엇 is the standard dictionary form, it can sound slightly stiff or overly formal in casual conversation compared to 뭐.
How does it change in a sentence?
When 무엇 is the object of a verb, it often takes the object marker 를 to become 무엇을.
How do you pronounce it?
mueot
Did you know?
- If a Korean speaker asks 뭐? with a rising intonation, it functions as 'what', but with a flat or falling tone, it can express disbelief similar to 'No way!'
- The word 무엇 is actually a combination of two words: the Middle Korean pronoun 므스 and the word 것, which means 'thing'.
- While 무엇 is the formal pronoun, Koreans often use it in the phrase 무엇보다도 to mean 'above all' or 'more than anything'.
Examples in context
- 무엇을 도와드릴까요?What can I help you with?
- 이 일을 어떻게 해야 하나요?What should I do about this matter?
- 이것은 무엇입니까?igeoseun mueosimnikka?What is this?
- 그것이 무엇인지 말씀해 주세요.geugeosi mueosinji malsseumhae juseyo.Please tell me what that is.
- 지금 무엇을 하고 계십니까?jigeum mueoseul hago gyesimnikka?What are you doing now?
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are talking about a gift.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 상자 안에 무엇이 들어 있습니까?Subin ssi, sangja ane mueosi deureo itseupnikka?Subin, what is inside the box?
- 수빈 Su-bin새로운 책이 들어 있습니다.saeroun chaegi deureo itseupnida.There is a new book inside.
- 민준 Min-jun그 책의 내용이 무엇입니까?geu chaegui naeyongi mueosipnikka?What is the content of that book?
- 수빈 Su-bin한국 역사에 관한 책입니다.hanguk yeoksaye gwanhan chaekipnida.It is a book about Korean history.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 무엇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 무엇, CC BY-SA 4.0.
