Korean Question Words: How to Use 누구, 뭐, 어디, 언제, 왜, and 어떻게
Korean Question Words: How to Use 누구, 뭐, 어디, 언제, 왜, and 어떻게
Learn the six essential Korean question words, where they appear in a sentence, which particles they use, and how to avoid common beginner mistakes.
What You’ll Learn
- The meaning and pronunciation of six core Korean question words
- How Korean question-word placement differs from English
- The difference between 누구 and 누가
- How to distinguish 어떻게, 어떡해, 어떤, and 무슨
- How to form practical questions for everyday conversation
Whether you want to order food at a restaurant, find your way around Seoul, or strike up a conversation with a native speaker, asking questions is essential. Learning core Korean question words gives you the tools to gather information and hold meaningful conversations right away.
In English, we rely on the classic "5 Ws and 1 H" (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How). Korean has a similar core set of question words: 누구/누가 (who), 무엇/뭐 (what), 어디 (where), 언제 (when), 왜 (why), and 어떻게 (how). In this guide, we will break down each question word with exact pronunciations, natural sentence patterns, key particle rules, and practice exercises!
How Questions Work in Korean Sentence Structure
Unlike English, where question words shift to the very beginning of a sentence (e.g., "Where are you going?"), Korean follows a flexible Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure. In most cases, you simply drop the question word directly into the exact slot where the answer would go!
• Statement: 저는 학교에 가요. (I am going to school.)
• Question: 어디에 가요? (Where are you going?)
Notice that you do not need to flip auxiliary verbs or rearrange the entire sentence. In many polite spoken questions, the sentence ending and context signal that it is a question. Intonation can help, but Korean questions are not formed by intonation alone.
The 6 Essential Korean Question Words
1. Who: 누구 / 누가 (nu-gu / nu-ga)
The standard word for "who" is 누구 (nu-gu). However, when "who" acts as the Subject of a sentence with the subject particle ~가, it contracts from 누구가 into 누가 (nu-ga).
- 누구 = Who (general form or used with topic/object particles)
Example: 이 사람은 누구예요? (I sa-ram-eun nu-gu-ye-yo?) = Who is this person? - 누가 = Who (subject form performing an action)
Example: 누가 왔어요? (Nu-ga was-seo-yo?) = Who came?
2. What: 무엇 / 뭐 (mu-eot / mwo)
The dictionary form for "what" is 무엇 (mu-eot). In connected speech, forms such as 무엇을 are commonly pronounced close to [무어슬]. In everyday spoken Korean, people almost always use the shortened, conversational form 뭐 (mwo).
- 무엇을 is more formal or written. 뭘, 뭐를, and sometimes particle omission with 뭐 are common in conversation.
- Example: 지금 뭐 해요? (Ji-geum mwo hae-yo?) = What are you doing now?
- Example: 이것이 무엇입니까? (I-geot-i mu-eos-im-ni-ka?) = What is this? (High formal)
3. Where: 어디 (eo-di)
To ask about places or locations, use 어디 (eo-di). Because location expressions often use particles, you will frequently see 어디 with 에 for destination or existence and 에서 for the place where an action occurs. For origin, Korean commonly uses 어디에서/어디서 with movement verbs such as 오다.
- 어디에 = To where / At where (destination/existence)
Example: 화장실이 어디에 있어요? (Hwa-jang-si-ri eo-di-e it-seo-yo?) = Where is the restroom? - 어디에서 (often shortened to 어디서) = where an action happens, or from where with movement verbs
Example: 어디에서 만날까요? (Eo-di-e-seo man-nal-kka-yo?) = Where shall we meet?
4. When: 언제 (eon-je)
The word for "when" is 언제 (eon-je). Unlike 어디, 언제 does not strictly require the time particle ~에 attached to it—you can place it directly before the verb.
- Example: 한국에 언제 갈 거예요? (Han-gug-e eon-je gal geo-ye-yo?) = When are you going to Korea?
- Example: 생일이 언제예요? (Saeng-ir-i eon-je-ye-yo?) = When is your birthday?
5. Why: 왜 (wae)
Asking for reasons is straightforward with 왜 (wae). Pronounced similar to "way" in English, it usually stands near the start of the sentence or right before the verb.
- Example: 왜 늦었어요? (Wae neu-jeos-seo-yo?) = Why are you late?
- Example: 왜 한국어를 배워요? (Wae han-gug-eo-reul bae-wo-yo?) = Why are you learning Korean?
6. How: 어떻게 (eo-tteoh-ke) vs 어떤 (eo-tteon)
To ask *in what manner* or *by what method* something is done, use the adverb 어떻게 (eo-tteoh-ke), pronounced [어떠케]. Do not confuse it with 어떤 (eo-tteon), which means "what kind of" and modifies a noun directly!
- 어떻게 = How (adverb modifying verbs)
Example: 여기 어떻게 왔어요? (Yeo-gi eo-tteoh-ke was-seo-yo?) = How did you get here? - 어떤 = Which / What kind of (noun modifier)
Example: 어떤 음식을 좋아해요? (Eo-tteon eum-sig-eul jo-a-hae-yo?) = What kind of food do you like?
Summary Table of Question Words
Here is a quick reference cheat sheet for all 6 core Korean question words along with their common conversational variants:
| English | Hangul | Romanization | Common Conversational Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who | 누구 / 누가 | nu-gu / nu-ga | 누구예요? | 누가 먹었어요? (Who ate it?) |
| What | 무엇 / 뭐 | mu-eot / mwo | 뭐예요? | 뭐 먹을 거예요? (What will you eat?) |
| Where | 어디 | eo-di | 어디에 / 어디서 | 어디에 가요? (Where are you going?) |
| When | 언제 | eon-je | 언제 | 언제 와요? (When are you coming?) |
| Why | 왜 | wae | 왜요? | 왜 울어요? (Why are you crying?) |
| How | 어떻게 | eo-tteoh-ke | 어떻게 | 어떻게 가요? (How do I go?) |
Important Grammar Rules & Particle Tips
1. The Difference Between 누구 and 누가
This trips up almost every beginner! Use 누구 when combining with particles like ~를 (object), ~하고 (with), or ~의 (whose). Switch to 누가 ONLY when "Who" is the subject performing the verb action.
- 누구의 선생님이에요? = Whose teacher is this?
- 누구를 기다려요? = Who are you waiting for?
- 누가 전화했어요? = Who called? (Subject action)
2. Spelling Pitfall: 어떻게 vs 어떡해
While pronounced identically [어떠케], 어떻게 is an adverb meaning "how" (requires a verb after it). 어떡해 is a contracted expression meaning "What should I do?!" and usually stands alone at the end of a clause.
Common Mistakes
Using 누구가 instead of 누가
When “who” is the subject, use 누가, not 누구가.
Confusing 어떻게 and 어떡해
어떻게 means “how” and usually modifies a verb. 어떡해 is a contracted expression meaning “What should I do?” or “Oh no.”
Using 뭐 directly before every noun
Before a noun, Korean often uses 무슨 or 어떤, depending on meaning.
Real-World Practical Scenarios
Practice reading these natural dialogue snippets aloud to build conversational fluidity:
Scenario A: Meeting someone new
A: 이름이 무엇이에요? (뭐예요?)
I-reum-i mu-eos-i-e-yo?
"What is your name?"
B: 저는 민수예요. 어디에서 왔어요?
Jeo-neun Min-su-ye-yo. Eo-di-e-seo was-seo-yo?
"I am Minsu. Where did you come from?"
Scenario B: Planning a meet-up
A: 우리 언제 만날까요?
U-ri eon-je man-nal-kka-yo?
"When shall we meet?"
B: 내일 어때요? 어디서 만날까요?
Nae-il eo-ttae-yo? Eo-di-seo man-nal-kka-yo?
"How about tomorrow? Where shall we meet?"
Interactive Knowledge Check
Test Your Question Word Knowledge!
Select the correct question word to complete each sentence below.
Question 1: Fill in the blank: "Where is the library?" → 도서관이 ____에 있어요?
A) 언제
B) 어디
C) 무엇
Question 2: Fill in the blank: "Who ate the cake?" (Subject action) → ____ 케이크를 먹었어요?
A) 누구
B) 누가
C) 뭐
Question 3: Fill in the blank: "Why are you studying Korean?" → ____ 한국어를 공부해요?
A) 왜
B) 어떻게
C) 어떤
Question 4: Fill in the blank: "How do I make Kimchi?" → 김치를 ____ 만들어요?
A) 무엇
B) 왜
C) 어떻게
Click here to reveal the answers
Answers:
1. B) 어디 (Asking for location = 어디에).
2. B) 누가 (When "Who" is the subject performing the action, use 누가).
3. A) 왜 (Asking for a reason = 왜).
4. C) 어떻게 (Asking for method or manner = 어떻게).
Frequently Asked Questions
뭐 (무엇) is a pronoun meaning "what" that stands alone (e.g., 뭐 해요? = What are you doing?). 무슨 is an adjective modifier meaning "what kind of / what" that MUST sit directly in front of a noun (e.g., 무슨 일이에요? = What work/matter is it?).
Yes! 왜요? (Wae-yo?) is a complete, polite way to ask "Why?" or "Why do you ask?" in casual conversation.
To ask about price or amount, use 얼마 (eol-ma) for cost (e.g., 얼마예요? = How much is it?) or 얼마나 (eol-ma-na) for extent/time (e.g., 얼마나 걸려요? = How long does it take?).
누가 is the standard contracted form of 누구 + 가. Learners should memorize it as the normal subject form used when asking who performs an action or holds a state.
Korean word order is relatively flexible because particles show grammatical roles. The question word normally appears in the position of the information being requested, although context and emphasis can change its placement.
Conclusion
Mastering Korean question words opens up endless opportunities to interact with native speakers, clarify instructions, and navigate everyday situations in Korea. Remember the core 6: 누가 (who), 무엇/뭐 (what), 어디 (where), 언제 (when), 왜 (why), and 어떻게 (how).
Try creating your own question right now in the comments using one of these words! Continue with the related lessons below to practice more essential Korean sentence patterns.
Lesson Summary
누구/누가 asks who, 무엇/뭐 asks what, 어디 asks where, 언제 asks when, 왜 asks why, and 어떻게 asks how. The question word usually stays where the missing information would appear.
