무엇

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Meaning

  • What
  • Something

As a question

Depending on the intonation, 머엇 and 뭐 can mean either 'what' or 'something.' If the sentence starts with a high pitch and ends with a downward intonation, then it is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'What ... ?' However if the rising intonation comes at the end, it is a indefinite pronoun meaning 'something.' See the examples below:

Sentence Intonation Audio Meaning
(need sentence) Up and then down (insert audio)
(need sentence) Gradually rising (insert audio)

Used in Declarative Sentences

When 머엇 and 뭐 are used in declarative sentences it is a indefinite pronoun meaning 'something.'

무엇

  • 무엇 is usually used in more formal situations and isn't colloquial.
  • 무엇이 is 무엇 plus the subject marker 이.
  • 무엇을 is 무엇 plus the object marker 을.


  • 뭐 is the contracted version version of 무엇 and is used much more frequently in colloquial speach. It is oftened pronounced as 모 or 머 and also often spelled that way in informal usage, such as text messaging and instant messaging (with friends).
  • 뭐가 is 뭐 plus the subject marker
  • 뭘 is a contraction of 뭐를, which is 뭐 plus the object marker 를.
  • 뭐 is sometimes used as a filler for when someone is thinking of what to say.

Sentence examples

As an interrogative pronoun:

Korean English Notes
지금 뭐 해요? What are you doing right now?
뭘 봐? What are you looking at?
요즘 뭐 공부해요? What have you been studying lately?
뭐 먹고싶어? What do you want to eat?
A: "Isn't that guy hot?"
B:"What's hot about him?!"
A: "그 남자 멋있지 않니?"
B:"뭐가 멋있어?!"


As an indefinite pronoun

Korean English Notes
뭐 좀 먹어 Eat something 좀 just acts like a filler to make the sentence flow better.
뭐 하나 물어 봐도 돼요? Is it ok if I ask you something? / Do you mind if I ask you something?


As a filler

Korean English Notes


Common phases

Common phrases using 무엇 or 뭐.

  • 뭐야