Korean Question Words: Who, What, Where

Asking questions is one of the first things you need to master in any language. In Korean, question words (의문사, uimunsa) work differently from English, they don't move to the front of the sentence. Instead, they stay right where the answer would go.

This guide covers every Korean question word you need, with real examples you can start using today.

How Korean Questions Work

In English, we rearrange sentences to form questions: "You ate what?" becomes "What did you eat?"

In Korean, the question word stays in place:

• Statement: 피자를 먹었어요. (I ate pizza.)
• Question: 뭐를 먹었어요? (What did you eat?)

The word order barely changes, you just swap the answer for the question word. This actually makes Korean questions easier than English ones once you get used to it.

The Essential Korean Question Words

누구 (nugu), Who

Use 누구 to ask about people.

Tip: 누구 contracts to 누 before the subject particle: 누가 했어요? (Who did it?), not 누구가.

뭐 / 무엇 (mwo / mueot), What

뭐 is the casual spoken form. 무엇 is more formal or written.

Tip: 무슨 (musun) means "what kind of" and goes before nouns: 무슨 음악 좋아해요? (What kind of music do you like?)

언제 (eonje), When

어디 (eodi), Where

Tip: 어디 combines with particles naturally: 어디에 (location), 어디서 (action location), 어디로 (direction).

왜 (wae), Why

왜 is simple, it doesn't need any particles.

어떻게 (eotteoke), How

Cultural note: 이름이 어떻게 되세요? literally means "How does your name become?", it's the standard polite way to ask someone's name in Korean, much more natural than 이름이 뭐예요?

Beyond the Basics

얼마 (eolma), How much

Key distinction: 얼마 = how much (price). 얼마나 = how much/how long/how often (degree).

몇 (myeot), How many / What number

몇 always comes before a counter or noun.

어떤 (eotteon), What kind of / Which

무슨 vs 어떤 vs 뭐, The Difference

This trips up a lot of learners:

• 뭐, "What?" (standalone, replaces the whole noun)
• 무슨, "What/which?" (before a noun, asking about category: 무슨 과일? = "What fruit?")
• 어떤, "What kind of?" (before a noun, asking about qualities: 어떤 과일? = "What kind of fruit?")

Example:

• 무슨 음식 좋아해요? → What food do you like? (which category)
• 어떤 음식 좋아해요? → What kind of food do you like? (what qualities)

The difference is subtle, and in casual speech Koreans sometimes use them interchangeably, but understanding the distinction will make your Korean more precise.

Making Questions Sound Natural

Rising intonation

In casual Korean, you can turn any statement into a question just by raising your voice at the end:

• 갔어? ↗ (You went?)
• 맛있어? ↗ (Is it good?)

The -요 ending

In polite speech, questions and statements use the same -요 ending. Only intonation (and context) tells them apart:

• 먹었어요. ↘ (I ate.)
• 먹었어요? ↗ (Did you eat?)

Tag questions with 죠/지요

Add -죠 to make "right?" or "isn't it?" questions:

• 맛있죠? (It's delicious, right?)
• 한국 사람이죠? (You're Korean, right?)

Practice These First

If you're just starting out, master these five questions, you'll use them every day in Korea:

1. 이게 뭐예요?, What is this?
2. 화장실이 어디예요?, Where is the restroom?
3. 이거 얼마예요?, How much is this?
4. 몇 시예요?, What time is it?
5. 왜요?, Why?

Keep Practicing with Chamelingo

Question words click fastest when you practice them in context, not just memorizing a table. Chamelingo pairs free grammar/vocab tools with a Pro curriculum of interactive drills so you move from reading examples to forming your own questions.

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