Korean Conversation · Level 235
15 words
Korean word
뭐라고
Pronunciation
Romanizationmworago
Meaning
- particlewhat
Example
선생님이 뭐라고 하셨어요?seon saeng ni mi mwo ra go ha syeo sseo yo
What did the teacher say?
More examples
친구가 어제 뭐라고 했는지 아직 기억이 안 나.chin gu ga eo je mwo ra go haen neun ji a jik ki eo gi an na
I still cannot remember what my friend said yesterday.
Core concept
The focus is on the content of speech, either to check what someone said or to introduce that content.
Common phrases
뭐라고 했어?mwo ra go hae sseo
What did you say
뭐라고 하셨어요mwo ra go ha syeo sseo yo
What did you say
뭐라고 말했어mwo ra go mal hae sseo
What did you say
Similar words
라고rago: A particle used after words to show that they are being quoted.
다고tago: A particle used after a statement to report what was said.
냐고nyago: A particle used after a question to report what someone asked.
자고chago: A particle used after a proposal to report what someone suggested.
Definition in Korean
의문문에서 상대가 한 말을 다시 묻거나 전달할 때 쓰이는 인용 어미로, '무엇이라고'의 축약형이다.ui mun mu ne seo sang dae ga han ma reul ta si mut kkeo na cheon dal hal ttae sseu i neun i nyong eo mi ro mu eo si ra go ui chu gya kyeong i da
Word origin
The form comes from mueosirago, a quoted form meaning what, which was shortened in speech to the more compact mworago.
Usage tips
- In conversation, the ending can change the tone, as in the polite repetition form mworagoyo, so the expression is useful for adjusting how surprised or polite a response sounds.