이게 뭐야?
ige mwoya?
The Korean phrase for "what is this" is 이게 뭐야? (ige mwoya?)
This phrase is a question used to ask for the identity of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
이게 뭐야? is a contraction of 이것이 뭐야? The word 이게 is a contraction of 이것이, which combines "this" and a subject marker, while 뭐야 is a contraction of 무엇이야, which means "what is".
Which one should you use?
While 이게 뭐야? refers to something near the speaker, you should use 그게 뭐야? to ask about something near the listener or something that has been previously mentioned.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
It should only be used with close friends, people younger than you or children. For a formal version, use 이게 무엇인가요?
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase polite when speaking to strangers or superiors, change the ending from 뭐야? to 뭐예요? to form 이게 뭐예요?
How do you pronounce it?
ige mwoya?
Did you know?
- In many Korean dramas, a character might shout 이게 뭐야! as a reaction of shock or anger to a bad situation, rather than a literal question about an object.
- Depending on the intonation, 뭐야? can be used as a defensive or annoyed response to someone's behavior, effectively meaning 'What's your problem?' or 'What do you want?'
- The word 뭐 used in 이게 뭐야? is a shortened form of 무엇, and in modern slang, 뭐 is often used as a filler word similar to 'like' or 'um' in English.
Examples in context
- 이거를 알려주세요.Please tell me what this is.
- 이게 뭐야? 신기해.ige mwoya? singihae.What is this? It's interesting.
- 이게 뭐야? 내 거야?ige mwoya? nae geoya?What is this? Is it mine?
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are looking at a mysterious gift on the table.
- 민준 Min-jun이게 뭐야?ige mwoya?What is this?
- 수빈 Su-bin네 생일 선물이야.ne saeng-il seonmul-iya.It is your birthday present.
- 민준 Min-jun진짜? 고마워!jin-jja? gomawo!Really? Thank you!
- 수빈 Su-bin아니야, 생일 축하해.aniya, saeng-il chuk-hae.No problem, happy birthday.
