Korean Question Words: How to Ask Who, What, When, Where, Why in Korean
Korean Question Words: The Complete Guide
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.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 누구예요? | Who is it? |
| 누구랑 갔어요? | Who did you go with? |
| 누구한테 줬어요? | Who did you give it to? |
| 이거 누구 거예요? | Whose is this? |
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.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 이게 뭐예요? | What is this? |
| 뭐 하고 있어요? | What are you doing? |
| 뭐 먹을까요? | What should we eat? |
| 취미가 뭐예요? | What's your hobby? |
Tip: 무슨 (musun) means "what kind of" and goes before nouns: 무슨 음악 좋아해요? (What kind of music do you like?)
언제 (eonje) — When
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 언제 왔어요? | When did you come? |
| 언제 출발해요? | When do we leave? |
| 한국에 언제 오셨어요? | When did you come to Korea? |
| 시험이 언제예요? | When is the exam? |
어디 (eodi) — Where
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 어디에 살아요? | Where do you live? |
| 어디서 왔어요? | Where are you from? |
| 화장실이 어디예요? | Where is the restroom? |
| 어디로 갈까요? | Where should we go? |
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.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 왜 늦었어요? | Why were you late? |
| 왜 한국어 배워요? | Why are you learning Korean? |
| 왜요? | Why? (casual) |
| 그건 왜 그래요? | Why is that like that? |
어떻게 (eotteoke) — How
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 어떻게 가요? | How do I get there? |
| 이름이 어떻게 되세요? | What is your name? (polite) |
| 어떻게 만들어요? | How do you make it? |
| 어떻게 알았어요? | How did you know? |
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
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 이거 얼마예요? | How much is this? |
| 얼마나 걸려요? | How long does it take? |
| 얼마나 자주 운동해요? | How often do you exercise? |
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.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 몇 살이에요? | How old are you? |
| 몇 시예요? | What time is it? |
| 몇 개 필요해요? | How many do you need? |
| 몇 번이에요? | What number is it? |
어떤 (eotteon) — What kind of / Which
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 어떤 영화 좋아해요? | What kind of movies do you like? |
| 어떤 게 더 나아요? | Which one is better? |
| 어떤 사람이에요? | What kind of person are they? |
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:
- 이게 뭐예요? — What is this?
- 화장실이 어디예요? — Where is the restroom?
- 이거 얼마예요? — How much is this?
- 몇 시예요? — What time is it?
- 왜요? — Why?
Keep Practicing with Chamelingo
Question words click fastest when you practice them in context — not just memorizing a table. Chamelingo uses structured drills that naturally build your question-asking skills through interactive exercises, so you move from reading examples to forming your own questions.
Ready to level up your Korean? Start practicing for free →