Key Facts
- Hangul: 무엇; Revised Romanization: mueot
- Part of speech: pronoun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral/slightly formal; in speech usually shortened to 뭐 (무엇이 -> 뭐가, 무엇을 -> 뭘).
What in Korean: What Does 무엇 Mean?
무엇 is the full form of the question word, a little formal. In speech it usually shortens to 뭐, with 뭐가 for 무엇이 and 뭘 for 무엇을. It stands alone as a pronoun and does not modify a noun.
How Do You Pronounce 무엇?
Two syllables, mu and eot. On its own, the final ㅅ in 엇 is said as an unreleased t, so the word ends mu-eot. With a vowel particle it links and keeps its s sound: 무엇이 sounds like mu-eo-si.
Example Sentences with 무엇
이것은 무엇이에요?
Igeoseun mueosieyo?
What is this?
이것은 means "this thing is", and 이에요 turns the pronoun into a question about identity.
무엇을 드시겠어요?
Mueoseul deusigesseoyo?
What would you like to eat?
드시겠어요 is the honorific "will you have", which makes this the waiter line.
무엇이 제일 맛있어요?
Mueosi jeil masisseoyo?
What is the most delicious?
제일 means the most, and 맛있어요 means delicious, so the question picks the best dish.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The list shows doing, anything and cause.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 무엇을 하다 | to do what |
| 무엇이든지 | anything |
| 무엇 때문에 | because of what |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: putting 무엇 directly before a noun to mean "what (thing)".
Correct: before a noun use 무슨 or 어떤, as in 무슨 음식 (what food). 무엇 stands alone.
무엇 Compared with Similar Words
뭐 is the spoken contraction. 어떤 asks what kind of something, before a noun. 무슨 means what before a noun.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 뭐 | what (colloquial) | Contracted form used in speech. |
| 어떤 | what kind of | Asks about type, before a noun. |
| 무슨 | what (before noun) | Used before nouns, e.g. 무슨 음식. |
Background on 무엇
The collocation 무엇 때문에 means because of what: 무엇 combines with 때문에 to ask for a reason. Adding 이든지 gives 무엇이든지, "anything", so one question word turns into an open choice. The same pattern recurs on the pages for the other question words.
Choosing a Dish at a Restaurant
A customer is choosing between dishes on a menu. The server uses the full 무엇 form, while the customer uses its everyday spoken contraction.
Server
무엇을 드시겠어요?
Mueoseul deusigesseoyo?
What would you like to eat?
Customer
이건 뭐예요?
Igeon mwoyeyo?
What is this?
Server
비빔밥이에요.
Bibimbabieyo.
It’s bibimbap.
Customer
그럼 비빔밥 주세요.
Geureom bibimbap juseyo.
Then I’ll have bibimbap, please.
이건 is the shortened form of 이것은, “as for this”. The customer can point to a menu item and ask 이건 뭐예요? without naming it. The answer supplies the missing identity. The server’s 무엇을 asks for the object of eating; the customer’s 뭐예요 asks what something is. The sentence around “what” tells you what kind of answer is needed.
How Do 무엇, 뭐, 뭐가 and 뭘 Fit Together?
무엇 is useful in careful speech, written questions and explanations. 뭐 is especially common in conversation. A sentence can be polite with either form: 뭐예요? still ends politely. Shortening the question word does not by itself make the whole sentence casual.
The particle changes with the shape of the word. 무엇 ends in a consonant, so the full subject form is 무엇이. 뭐 ends in a vowel, so its subject form is 뭐가. For the object, 무엇을 often becomes 뭘. Recognizing these forms helps you hear the same question word in a textbook and at a restaurant.
| Full form | Spoken form | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 무엇이에요? | 뭐예요? | Asks what something is. |
| 무엇이 | 뭐가 | Marks “what” as the subject. |
| 무엇을 | 뭘 | Marks “what” as the object. |
In 뭐가 맛있어요?, the question is about which thing tastes good. In 뭘 먹어요?, the question is about what someone eats. The shorter forms still do different jobs. Listen for 가 or ㄹ instead of treating every occurrence of 뭐 as an identical chunk.
Phrases Whose Meaning Goes beyond a Direct Question
무엇이든지 means “anything” or “whatever”. It opens the choice rather than asking the listener to identify one unknown thing. In a conversation about food, the phrase can communicate that any dish is acceptable. The spoken version 뭐든지 is common too.
무엇보다 means “above all” or “more than anything”. Literally it compares something with “what”, but as a set phrase it introduces the main priority. You may hear it before a statement about health or safety. It is not a request for someone to answer a question.
무엇 때문에 asks “because of what?” The phrase points to a cause. Its shorter spoken counterpart 뭐 때문에 can sound neutral or challenging depending on the voice and situation. Asking why a machine stopped is different from sharply questioning someone’s decision, even though the words can match.
Where Will You Meet These Forms?
Learning materials often introduce 무엇 first because it shows the full word and its particles clearly. Written instructions may ask what a speaker is doing or what an object is. Everyday conversations and drama subtitles frequently use 뭐, 뭐가 and 뭘 instead. Learn to connect the shorter forms back to 무엇 rather than looking for a separate English meaning for each one.
Before a noun, switch to a word that can describe that noun. 무슨 음식 asks “what food?”, while 어떤 음식 asks “what kind of food?” The choice depends on what you want to know, but both keep 음식 in the question. 무엇 replaces the thing itself, so it does not fill that descriptive slot.
The question words lesson places these forms alongside questions about people, places and times.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 뭐예요? automatically casual because it contains 뭐?
- What is the common spoken form of 무엇을?
- Which fits before 음식: 무엇 or 무슨?
Show answers
- No. The ending 예요 keeps it polite.
- 뭘.
- 무슨. 무엇 stands in place of the thing being asked about.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say what in Korean?
Say 무엇 (mueot), or 뭐 in speech.
Can 무엇 go before a noun?
No. Use 무슨 or 어떤 there.
How does 무엇을 shorten?
It becomes 뭘.
What does 무엇이든지 mean?
It means anything, whatever it is.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the question words list collects what, who, where and when.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Next in the list: the page for who.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.