Korean word

웬일

Pronunciation

Romanizationwenil

Meaning

  • nounwhat's the matter

Example

웬일이야? 무슨 일 있어?we ni ri ya mu seun il i sseo

What's the matter? Is something wrong?

Illustration for 웬일 (what's the matter)

More examples

갑자기 웬일이야?kap jja gi we ni ri ya

What happened all of a sudden?

Core concept

An unexpected circumstance that draws attention and prompts a question about its reason.

Common phrases

  • 웬일이야?we ni ri ya

    What's the matter

Similar words

무슨 일museun il: A phrase used to ask about an event, situation, or problem.

Definition in Korean

예상하지 못한 사정이나 이유를 묻거나 놀라움을 나타내는 명사로, 주로 '웬일이야?'처럼 상대의 상태나 이유를 확인할 때 쓰인다.ye sang ha ji mo tan sa jeong i na i yu reul mut kkeo na nol la u meul na ta nae neun myeong sa ro chu ro we ni ri ya cheo reom sang dae ui sang tae na i yu reul hwa gin hal ttae sseu in da

Word origin

웬일 (wenil, "what kind of matter") is formed from 웬 (we, "what kind of") and 일 (nil, "matter or event"), giving the sense of asking what unusual matter has occurred.

Usage tips

  • Because it is conversational, it fits friendly chats better than formal settings, where a more polite question is safer.

Opposites

Word lists with this word