왜
wae[wɛ(ː)]
The Korean word for "why" is 왜 (wae).
왜 is an interrogative adverb used to ask for a reason. Beyond asking for a reason, it can also be used as a casual response to someone calling your name, meaning "Why?", "What's up?" or "Yes?"
Meaning: (interrogative) for what reason (adv)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the question polite and suitable for use with strangers or superiors, you should add the particle 요 to the end to form 왜요?
How do you pronounce it?
wae
When do people say it?
In a casual context, if someone asks you 왜, a common response is 그냥, which means "just" or "for no particular reason".
Did you know?
- The syllable 왜 can be used as a Hanja (Chinese character) reading to refer to the ancient, often derogatory, term for Japan. While it means 'why' in common conversation, in a historical context, it refers to a specific historical subject.
- In many social situations, instead of saying 왜? to ask for a reason, Koreans often use the phrase 무슨 일이에요? which literally translates to 'What is the matter?' or 'What work is it?'
- Korean has a distinct way of expressing 'why' through the word 어째서, which implies a sense of 'how come' and suggests a more complex or surprising cause than 왜.
Examples in context
- 왜 그런 말을 해?Why do you say things like that?This sentence is useful for asking why someone says certain things using 왜.Tatoeba #11106692 by intertime, translation #5272722 by Hybrid
- 왜 우리는 꿈을 꿔?Why do we dream?This sentence is useful for asking why people dream using 왜.Tatoeba #8363658 by Eunhee, translation #1276142 by CK
- 왜 내 발이 아프지?Why do my feet hurt?This sentence is useful for asking why a body part hurts using 왜.Tatoeba #8533577 by Eunhee, translation #6299413 by Hybrid
- 왜 그렇게 생각하십니까?Why do you think so?
- 왜 그렇게 말하셨습니까?Why did you say that?
- 130 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyeon and Jieun are talking on the phone.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은아, 왜 전화를 안 받아?Jieun-a, wae jeonhwaleul an bada?Jieun, why didn't you answer the phone?
- 지은 Ji-eun미안해, 도현아. 잠깐 잠들었어.Mianhae, Dohyeon-a. Jamkkan jamdeureosseo.Sorry, Dohyeon. I fell asleep for a bit.
- 도현 Do-hyeon많이 피곤했나 보네.Manhi pigonhaenna bone.You must have been very tired.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 정말 피곤해.Eung, jeongmal pigonhae.Yeah, I'm really tired.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries 왜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 왜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
