Korean word

어째서

Pronunciation

Romanizationeojjaeseo

Meaning

  • adverbwhy

Example

어째서 늦었어요?eo jjae seo neu seo sseo yo

Why are you late?

Illustration for 어째서 (why)

More examples

어째서 그렇게 된 건지 모르겠어요.eo jjae seo keu reo ke toen keon ji mo reu ge sseo yo

I don't know why it turned out that way.

Core concept

A strong push to uncover the reason behind a surprising situation.

Common phrases

  • 어째서 그런 일eo jjae seo keu reon il

    why such a thing

  • 어째서 이렇게나eo jjae seo i reo ke na

    why so much

Similar words

왜wae: Asks about the reason for an event or action in a widely useful everyday way.
무슨 이유로museun iyuro: Requests the exact reason for something that happened and invites a clear explanation.

Definition in Korean

어째서 이유나 까닭을 묻는 부사로, 놀람이나 불만을 담아 질문할 때 쓰인다.eo jjae seo i yu na kka dal geul mun neun pu sa ro nol la mi na pul ma neul ta ma chil mun hal ttae sseu in da

Word origin

The exact historical development is uncertain, but the word comes from an older Korean way of asking how and for what reason.

Usage tips

  • The word is useful for recognizing emotional tone because a speaker may use it when a simple question also expresses disbelief or dissatisfaction.

Related words

Word lists with this word