Korean word

왜

Pronunciation

Romanizationwae

Meaning

  • adverbwhy

Example

너는 왜 늦었어?neo neun wae neu seo sseo

Why were you late?

Illustration for 왜 (why)

More examples

오늘도 왜 이렇게 피곤해?o neul do wae i reo ke pi gon hae

How come you are so tired again today?

Core concept

Points to the reason behind an event or action and asks for it.

Common phrases

  • 왜 그래?wae keu rae

    Why are you like that

  • 왜 이렇게wae i reo ke

    why so

Similar words

어째서eojjaeseo: Asks why something happened while showing surprise or doubt.
뭐 때문에mwo ttaemune: Casually asks what caused a particular result.
어떻게eotteoke: Asks about the way an action is done.

Definition in Korean

사건이나 행동의 원인·이유를 묻는 기본적인 의문 부사.sa geo ni na haeng dong ui wo nin i yu reul mun neun ki bon jeo gin ui mun pu sa

Word origin

Its historical origin is uncertain, but it is a native Korean interrogative adverb that has long been used to ask about reasons.

Usage tips

  • The word 왜 (wae, "why") often appears near the start of a Korean question, while politeness mainly comes from the sentence ending.

Word lists with this word