Korean · Question Words
뭐
mwo
What
Beginnerpronoun
Definition
Used to ask about a thing.
Example
이게 뭐예요?
What is this?
Etymology
'뭐' (mwo) is an informal contraction of '무엇' (mueot), which translates to 'what.' Its historical usage reflects the evolution of interrogative pronouns in Korean.
How & Where It’s Used
'뭐' is predominantly used in informal spoken contexts and is characterized by its casual tone, often replacing more formal terms in everyday conversations.