Question Words: 누구, 뭐, 어디, 언제, 왜

English questions can be a bit annoying. You have to move words around. You add 'do' or 'does'. Korean is much nicer to you. The sentence order stays the same. You just replace the noun with a question word. Think of it like a puzzle. You pull out 'apple' and push in 'what'. That is it! No gymnastics required. Your brain will thank you later. This is called 'in-situ' question formation. It sounds fancy but it just means 'staying in place'. It is like a grammar couch potato. It stays exactly where it belongs.

1. 1Let's meet our new best friends.
2. 2누구 (Who): Use this for people.
3. 3뭐 (What): Use this for things or actions.
4. 4어디 (Where): Use this for places.
5. 5언제 (When): Use this for time.
6. 6왜 (Why): Use this for reasons.
7. 7There is one special rule for 누구. When you add the subject particle -가, it changes. It becomes 누가. It does not stay 누구가. That sounds a bit like a baby talking. Even native speakers mess this up when they are tired. But you are a star student! You will remember it. For the others, just add your particles normally.

Use these words whenever you need info. Imagine you are at a cafe. You see a weird drink. You ask 이게 뭐예요? (What is this?). Or you are meeting a friend. You ask 언제 만나요? (When do we meet?). Maybe you are lost in Seoul. You ask 화장실이 어디예요? (Where is the bathroom?). This is a life-saving question! Job interviews also need these words. You might ask about the office location. Or you might ask who the boss is. Real-world scenarios are everywhere. Use them at the airport. Use them at the market. Use them to annoy your siblings. It works for everything!

Korean is big on politeness. Be careful with 왜 (Why). If you say it too loudly, it sounds blunt. It can feel like you are picking a fight. Use a soft tone of voice. Or use a longer phrase to be polite. Also, do not use 뭐 when asking for a name. Use 어떻게 되세요? instead. It sounds much more elegant. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go, but yellow means 'be polite'. Red means 'maybe wait for a bit'.

The biggest mistake is the 누구 vs 누가 trap. Remember: 누구 is the base. 누가 is only for the subject. Another mistake is forgetting particles. 어디 가요? is okay for speaking. But 어디에 가요? is better for writing. Don't worry too much though. People will still understand you. Just don't call your teacher 뭐. That might end poorly! Another funny mistake is mixing up 언제 and 어디. If you ask 'where' is your birthday, people might point to your head. That is a bit awkward.

You might see 무슨 and 뭐. Both mean 'what' in English. But they work differently. 뭐 stands alone like a noun. 무슨 is like an adjective. It needs a noun after it. For example, 뭐 좋아해요? (What do you like?). But 무슨 음식 좋아해요? (What kind of food do you like?). It is a subtle difference. Think of 뭐 as the main character. Think of 무슨 as the sidekick. They both have important jobs! Also, 누구 is for 'who'. 어느 is for 'which'. Don't mix them up or you'll be asking 'Who person is this?'