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무엇: Difference between revisions

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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
==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:


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{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
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|
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==Used in Declarative Sentences==
When 머엇 and 뭐 are used in declarative sentences it is a indefinite pronoun meaning 'something.'


==무엇==
==무엇==
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|Engex2 =What are you looking at?
|Engex2 =What are you looking at?
|Comment2 =
|Comment2 =
|Korex3 =
|Korex3 =요즘 뭐 공부해요?
|Engex3 =
|Engex3 =What have you been studying lately?
|Comment3 =
|Comment3 =
|Korex4 =
|Korex4 =뭐 먹고싶어?
|Engex4 =
|Engex4 =What do you want to eat?
|Comment4 =
|Comment4 =
|Korex5 =
|Korex5 =
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|Engex9 =
|Engex9 =
|Comment9 =
|Comment9 =
|Korex10 =  
|Korex10 = A: "Isn't that guy hot?"<br>B:"What's hot about him?!"
|Engex10 =
|Engex10 =A: "그 남자 멋있지 않니?"<br>B:"뭐가 멋있어?!"
|Comment10 =  
|Comment10 =  
}}
}}
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As an indefinite pronoun
As an indefinite pronoun
{{Example table
{{Example table
|Korex1 =
|Korex1 =뭐 좀 먹어
|Engex1 =
|Engex1 =Eat something
|Comment1 =
|Comment1 =좀 just acts like a filler to make the sentence flow better.
|Korex2 =
|Korex2 =
|Engex2 =
|Engex2 =
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|Comment8 =
|Comment8 =
|Korex9 =
|Korex9 =
|Engex9 =
|Engex9 =|Comment9 =
|Comment9 =
|Korex10 = 뭐 하나 물어 봐도 돼요?
|Korex10 = 뭐 하나 물어 봐도 돼요?
|Engex10 =Is it ok if I ask you something? / Do you mind if I ask you something?
|Engex10 =Is it ok if I ask you something? / Do you mind if I ask you something?

Latest revision as of 12:13, 6 July 2010


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