What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 왜 (why) and 웃어요 (laugh/is laughing).
Which one should you use?
You can use 왜 웃어? with friends or people you have a close relationship with. For a more indirect or specific way to ask "What's with the laughing?", you can use 웃는 거 뭐야? If you want to express a high level of respect, 웃으시는 이유가 무엇인가요? or 왜 웃고 계세요? are formal alternatives.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 왜 웃으십니까? in highly formal settings, such as news broadcasts or military contexts. To address a boss or an elderly person you respect, use 웃으시는 이유가 무엇인가요? The form 왜 웃으세요? is an honorific version used to show respect to someone of higher social status or an elder. For friends or people younger than you, the informal 왜 웃어? is appropriate.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create the informal version 왜 웃어?, the polite ending -요 is dropped.
How do you pronounce it?
wae useoyo?
Did you know?
- When texting, Koreans often use the character ㅋ to represent the sound of laughter, so instead of asking 왜 웃어요?, a friend might simply text 왜 ㅋ?
- In many East Asian cultures including Korea, covering the mouth while laughing is a traditional gesture of politeness or modesty, particularly for women.
- The word 웃음 (laughter) is often used in Korean to describe a 'smile' or a 'grin' even when no actual sound is being made, unlike the specific English distinction between laughing and smiling.
Examples in context
- 왜 웃어요?wae useoyo?Why are you laughing?
- 갑자기 왜 웃어요?gapjagi wae useoyo?Why are you laughing suddenly?
- 제 얼굴에 뭐 묻었어요? 왜 웃어요?je eolgure mwo mudeosseoyo? wae useoyo?Is there something on my face? Why are you laughing?
Example conversation
Subin notices Dohyeon giggling while looking at his phone.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 왜 웃어요?Dohyeon ssi, wae useoyo?Dohyeon, why are you laughing?
- 도현 Do-hyeon아, 아무것도 아니에요.a, amugeotdo anieyo.Oh, it's nothing.
- 수빈 Su-bin웃긴 일이 있었나 봐요.utgin iri isseotna bwayo.Something funny must have happened.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그냥 재미있는 영상을 봤어요.geunyang jaemiitneun yeongsangeul bwasseoyo.I just watched a funny video.
