Korean WH-questions are essential if you want to actually have conversations — not just memorize vocabulary. Being able to ask “Who” (누구), “What” (뭐), and “Where” (어디) allows you to engage with people, ask for help, and explore Korean culture meaningfully.
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These three question words form the core of Korean curiosity. Whether you're traveling, studying, or messaging a Korean friend, knowing how to use them correctly will help you connect instantly. Even beginners can learn them fast with a little guidance — and that’s what this guide is here for!
I’ve always felt that the moment you can ask “Where is the bathroom?” or “Who is that?” in a new language, you go from learning the language to actually using it. That’s the power of WH-questions.
❓ Why WH Questions Matter in Korean
In Korean, WH-questions help you find out information — just like in English. But they’re also tied closely to politeness, sentence structure, and verb placement. The words 누구 (who), 뭐 / 무엇 (what), and 어디 (where) are basic yet powerful tools for navigating real conversations.
Unlike English, where WH-words usually come at the beginning, Korean WH-words often stay in the subject or object position. This means you don’t rearrange the sentence as much — instead, you use particles like 이/가, 을/를, 에 to define the role of the word.
For example, asking “Who are you?” in Korean becomes 누구예요? and “Where is the bank?” becomes 은행이 어디예요? See the difference? The WH-word isn't always in front, but the question is still clear thanks to grammar particles.
WH-questions in Korean also shift slightly depending on the level of formality. The casual version of “What is this?” is 이게 뭐야?, while the polite form is 이게 뭐예요?. So it’s not just vocabulary — it’s also social awareness!
📊 Korean WH-Word Overview
| English | Korean | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | 누구 | [nu-gu] | 누구예요? (Who is it?) |
| What | 뭐 / 무엇 | [mwo / mu-eot] | 이게 뭐예요? (What is this?) |
| Where | 어디 | [eo-di] | 어디예요? (Where is it?) |
🧍♀️ How to Ask “Who” in Korean
The word 누구 means “who” in Korean. It's used to ask about people — their identity, who did something, or who someone is talking about. It’s a very flexible word and adjusts depending on its grammatical role.
When used as the subject, it becomes 누가 (who + subject particle). For example: 누가 왔어요? means “Who came?” and 이건 누가 했어요? means “Who did this?”
In contrast, when used as an object, you can say 누구를 or just 누구 in casual speech: 누구를 봤어요? (“Who did you see?”). Native speakers often drop the particle in conversation for flow.
Also, you can use 누구예요? (“Who is it?”) as a basic all-purpose question — whether you’re answering the phone, asking about someone, or meeting a new person. Super useful!
🧠 Common “Who” Questions
| English | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Who is it? | 누구예요? | Asking for identity |
| Who came? | 누가 왔어요? | Subject form of who |
| Who did you see? | 누구(를) 봤어요? | Object form of who |
Get used to using 누구 in different sentence positions — and listen for it in K-dramas or Korean interviews. It's everywhere!
📦 How to Ask “What” in Korean
The Korean word for “what” is 뭐 in spoken language and 무엇 in written or formal contexts. Both mean the same thing, but 뭐 is more natural in everyday conversation. For example, “What is this?” would be 이게 뭐예요?
Korean doesn’t require you to front-load the WH-word like in English. Instead, 뭐 stays in the grammatical position it logically belongs to — often the object or subject. The sentence structure follows the typical SOV (Subject–Object–Verb) order.
Here’s an example: “What did you eat?” becomes 뭐 먹었어요? Literally: “What ate?” with “what” as the object. This is much shorter and more efficient than English!
When combined with particles, 무엇이 → 무엇이 (what + subject), and 무엇을 → 무엇을 (what + object) become 뭐가 and 뭘 respectively in speech. These contractions are extremely common!
📝 Common “What” Forms and Meanings
| Form | Full Version | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 뭐 | 무엇 | What | General, casual |
| 뭐가 | 무엇이 | What (subject) | Subject of action |
| 뭘 | 무엇을 | What (object) | Object of action |
Don’t worry about memorizing all the variations at once. Focus on 뭐예요? for daily use, then add 뭘 먹었어요? and 뭐가 문제예요? as you progress.
🗺️ How to Ask “Where” in Korean
The Korean word for “where” is 어디. It's used to ask about location or destination. In questions, 어디 is usually followed by particles like 에 (to/at) or 에서 (from/at), depending on context.
For example, “Where are you?” is 어디예요? and “Where are you going?” is 어디에 가요?. The difference lies in the particle: 에 shows direction or destination, while 에서 shows origin or current location.
Another practical use is with verbs like 일하다 (to work) and 공부하다 (to study). You can say 어디에서 공부해요? meaning “Where do you study?”
If you're asking where something is, like “Where is the bathroom?”, you can say 화장실이 어디예요? The word order follows Korean grammar but delivers the meaning clearly.
🗺️ “Where” Question Forms
| English Meaning | Korean | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Where is it? | 어디예요? | General location |
| Where are you going? | 어디에 가요? | Destination |
| Where do you work? | 어디에서 일해요? | Place of activity |
Mastering 어디 with the right particle will make your Korean much more precise. Listen to how native speakers use 에 vs 에서 — it’ll unlock more natural Korean for you!
⚙️ Grammar Structure of WH Questions
Korean WH-questions follow the standard sentence structure: Subject – Object – Verb. Unlike English, WH-words such as 누구 (who), 뭐 (what), or 어디 (where) do not always come at the beginning. Instead, they stay in the spot they would occupy grammatically in a regular sentence.
For example, the sentence “Who ate the cake?” in English starts with “Who.” But in Korean, you say: 누가 케이크를 먹었어요? — literally: “Who cake ate?” The subject (누가) comes first, then the object (cake), then the verb (ate).
You also need to pay attention to particles. 이/가 for subjects, 을/를 for objects, and 에/에서 for places. The WH-word connects with these depending on what you’re asking.
Also, sentence endings matter. For polite situations, end with ~요: 어디예요? or 누구예요? In informal settings, you might hear 야? or 니? endings. Be aware of tone and who you're speaking to.
🧱 WH Grammar Pattern Table
| WH-Word | Position | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 누가 | Subject | 누가 왔어요? | Who came? |
| 뭘 | Object | 뭘 먹었어요? | What did you eat? |
| 어디에 | Place (destination) | 어디에 가요? | Where are you going? |
As long as you know where the WH-word belongs grammatically, the rest of the sentence falls into place. Korean favors consistency and clarity in structure — once you grasp it, asking questions becomes second nature!
🗣️ Real-Life Dialogue Practice
Now let’s put everything into practice with sample dialogues. These are based on realistic, everyday situations in Korea — from meeting someone to asking for directions or ordering food. Try reading them out loud!
You’ll notice how each WH-word fits naturally in different positions in the sentence. You'll also see polite endings like ~예요 or ~어요 used consistently — these help you sound respectful and friendly.
Don’t worry about being perfect. Korean speakers really appreciate the effort, and WH-questions are a great way to keep conversations going — or to start them!
💬 WH-Question Dialogue Table
| Situation | Korean | English |
|---|---|---|
| At a cafe | 이게 뭐예요? | What is this? |
| Meeting someone | 누구예요? | Who is it? |
| Asking for directions | 화장실이 어디예요? | Where is the bathroom? |
Practice these sentences and try swapping in different nouns or verbs. The structure stays the same, and soon you’ll be able to build your own WH-questions easily and naturally!
🙋♀️ FAQ
Q1. What are WH-questions in Korean?
They are questions that begin with words like “who”, “what”, and “where”. In Korean, these are 누구, 뭐/무엇, and 어디.
Q2. Is “뭐” the same as “무엇”?
Yes, but “뭐” is casual and commonly spoken. “무엇” is more formal or written.
Q3. What’s the difference between 어디에 and 어디에서?
어디에 means “to where” (direction), and 어디에서 means “at/from where” (location or origin).
Q4. How do I ask “Who came?” in Korean?
You say 누가 왔어요? using “누가” as the subject.
Q5. Can I say “뭐예요?” when I don’t understand something?
Yes! It’s a natural way to ask “What is it?” or “What?” politely.
Q6. What does “누가” mean?
It’s the subject form of “누구” — used when “who” is doing the action.
Q7. Is “어디예요?” okay for asking “Where are you?”
Yes, it’s polite and used all the time when asking about location.
Q8. How do I ask “What did you eat?”
Say 뭐 먹었어요? or the more formal 무엇을 드셨어요?
Q9. What’s the polite way to say “Where is the station?”
Say 역이 어디예요?
Q10. What is “누구세요?” used for?
It’s a very polite way to ask “Who is it?” — often used when answering the door or phone.
Q11. How do I say “Who did it?” in Korean?
You can say 누가 했어요? which literally means “Who did (it)?”
Q12. Can “누구” change form depending on grammar?
Yes. As a subject it becomes 누가, and as an object it’s often just 누구 (or rarely 누구를).
Q13. Is there a difference between 뭐 and 뭘?
Yes. 뭐 is “what,” while 뭘 is the object form of “what,” used before verbs like 먹다 (to eat).
Q14. Can I drop the verb in WH-questions?
Sometimes, yes. For example, 어디요? can stand alone to mean “Where?” when the verb is clear from context.
Q15. What’s the difference between 뭐예요? and 이게 뭐예요?
뭐예요? simply means “What is it?”, while 이게 뭐예요? specifies “What is this (thing here)?”
Q16. How do I ask “Where are you from?” in Korean?
Say 어디에서 왔어요? — literally, “From where came you?” It’s polite and natural.
Q17. Can I use WH-words at the start of a Korean sentence?
Yes, but only for emphasis. Normally WH-words stay in place, but you can front them in casual speech to stress something, like 누구가 왔어요?
Q18. Is “어디예요?” formal enough for work situations?
Yes. It’s polite and neutral. In very formal writing, you might see 어디입니까?
Q19. How do I ask “Where should we go?” in Korean?
You can say 어디로 갈까요? — it means “To where shall we go?” and is polite and inclusive.
Q20. Can I ask “What time?” using 뭐?
No. Use 몇 시 instead: 몇 시예요? means “What time is it?”
Q21. Is there a polite way to ask “Who are you?”
Yes. 누구세요? is the most natural and polite version — often used when someone knocks or calls you.
Q22. Can “어디” be used without particles?
Yes. Simply saying 어디예요? works fine for general questions like “Where is it?” or “Where are you?”
Q23. What’s the best way to remember WH-words?
Create mini flashcards or stories connecting each word: 누구 (people), 뭐 (things), 어디 (places).
Q24. Are there WH-words for “when” or “why” too?
Yes! “When” is 언제, and “Why” is 왜. They follow the same grammar rules as other WH-words.
Q25. Can WH-questions end with 요 or 니다?
Yes. Use 요 for polite conversation (뭐예요?) and 니다 for very formal speech (무엇입니까?).
Q26. Is there an informal version of “What is this?”
Yes! You can say 이게 뭐야? to friends or people younger than you.
Q27. How do I ask “Who are they?” in Korean?
You say 그 사람들은 누구예요? — literally, “Those people are who?”
Q28. Is “누구야?” rude?
It’s not rude among friends but too casual for strangers. Use 누구예요? to stay polite.
Q29. What’s the difference between 어디예요 and 어디입니까?
어디예요 is polite and conversational; 어디입니까 is formal and used in official or workplace contexts.
Q30. What’s the easiest way to master WH-questions?
Listen, repeat, and use them daily. Watch Korean shows and mimic native speakers’ pronunciation and tone.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only. Korean usage may vary by region, age, or formality. Always consider cultural context when applying grammar.
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