왜 울어요?
wae ureoyo?
In Korean, "why are you crying?" is said as 왜 울어요? (wae ureoyo?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone the reason they are shedding tears. It is built from the verb 울다, which means "to cry."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 왜, meaning "why" and 울어요, which is the polite form of the verb 울다 (to cry).
Which one should you use?
While 왜 울어요? is a universal way to ask the question, you may encounter other forms. 왜 울고 있어요? is the formal way to ask 'Why are you crying?', while 왜 울어? is the informal way to ask 'Why are you crying?'
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech with friends or younger people, the polite ending –요 is dropped to become 왜 울어?
How do you pronounce it?
wae ureoyo?
Did you know?
- The verb 울다 can also be used to describe the sound of an animal, such as a wolf howling or a bird singing, meaning 'to cry out'.
- The word 왜 can be a homonym that refers to 'Japan' or the ancient name for Japanese people when written with specific Chinese characters.
- Koreans often use the idiom 눈물이 나다, which means 'tears are coming out', to frame crying as an involuntary physical reaction.
Examples in context
- 왜 울어?Why are you crying?
- 선물을 잃어버렸어요.I lost a present.
- 갑자기 왜 울어요?gapjagi wae ureoyo?Why are you suddenly crying?
- 무슨 일이에요? 왜 울어요?museun irieyo? wae ureoyo?What's wrong? Why are you crying?
- 혼자서 왜 울어요?honjaseo wae ureoyo?Why are you crying alone?
Example conversation
Minji finds Hyunwoo sitting on a park bench crying.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨, 왜 울어요?Hyunwoo ssi, wae ureoyo?Hyunwoo, why are you crying?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그냥 조금 슬퍼요.geunyang jogeum seulpeoyo.I'm just a little sad.
- 민지 Min-ji제가 도와줄까요?jega dowajulkkayo?Can I help you?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니에요, 괜찮아요.anieyo, gwaenchanayo.No, I'm okay.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 왜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
