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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
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Meaning
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Up and then down
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Gradually rising
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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
- 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 가
- 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
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| 지금 뭐 해요?
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What are you doing right now?
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뭘 봐?
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| What are you looking at?
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As an indefinite Pronoun
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| 뭐 하나 물어 봐도 돼요?
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Is it ok if I ask you something?
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As a filler
