How to say “What?” in Korean
- 네?ne?
Pardon? / What?
"What?" in Korean is 뭐? (mwo?) with friends, but when you just didn't hear someone, the polite and safe choice is 네? (ne?). For "what is it?" you say 뭐야? (mwoya?) casually or 뭐예요? (mwoyeyo?) politely.
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 네 ne | Polite | Said with a rising tone, "Pardon?" or "Sorry?" The safest way to say what when you didn't catch something. |
| 뭐 mwo | Casual | A blunt "What?" Fine with friends, rude to elders or strangers. |
| 뭐라고 mworago | Casual | "What did you say?" Can sound shocked or annoyed depending on tone. |
| 뭐라고요 mworagoyo | Polite | Polite "What did you say?" Careful: a sharp tone makes it sound like "Excuse me?!" |
| 뭐야 mwoya | Casual | "What is it?" or "What the...?" for surprise or annoyance. |
| 뭐예요 mwoyeyo | Polite | Polite "What is it?" Use it to ask about a thing. |
Examples
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Pointing at a dish in a restaurant
A friend mumbles something surprising
Asking a friend about dinner
Tips
If you didn't hear something, don't say 뭐? to a teacher, boss or older person. It sounds like a rude "Huh?" Say 네? with a rising tone instead.
뭐 is the spoken form of 무엇 (mueot), the textbook word for "what". You will see 무엇 in writing and formal speech, but people almost always say 뭐 out loud.
Before a noun, "what" becomes 무슨 (museun): 무슨 일이에요? (museun irieyo?) means "What's going on?"
Questions learners ask
How do I say "what?" politely when I didn't hear?
Say 네? (ne?) with a rising tone, or 네? 다시 한번 말씀해 주세요 (ne? dasi hanbeon malsseumhae juseyo), "Sorry? Could you say that again, please?"
What does 뭐야 mean?
뭐야 means "what is it?" or "what the...?" It is casual and often shows surprise or annoyance, so keep it to friends.