Asking Information Questions — I can ask common information...

SECTION 1

Historical Context & Motivation

Every language in the world has a system for asking questions, and Korean is no exception. The Korean language, known as 한국어 (hangugeo), has a rich grammatical tradition that stretches back centuries. Understanding how question words developed in Korean gives you a deeper appreciation for the patterns you will learn today. Unlike English, where question words almost always appear at the beginning of a sentence, Korean question words can appear in different positions within the sentence because Korean relies on particles and verb endings to signal grammatical relationships rather than strict word order.

1443

Creation of Hangul

King Sejong the Great creates the Korean alphabet, 한글 (Hangul), making literacy accessible to all Koreans. Before this, only scholars who studied Classical Chinese could read and write, limiting everyday communication in written form.

1500s–1800s

Spoken Korean Flourishes

With Hangul in wider use, conversational Korean grammar solidifies. Question particles and sentence-ending markers that signal questions become standardized across dialects.

1933

Modern Korean Standardized

The Korean Language Society publishes unified spelling rules (한글 맞춤법 통일안), formalizing modern grammar including interrogative structures used in everyday speech.

2000s–Present

Korean Goes Global

The Korean Wave (한류, Hallyu) — including K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean cinema — drives millions of learners worldwide to study conversational Korean. Asking questions is consistently ranked as the most essential beginner skill.

So why focus on information questions specifically? When you travel, meet new people, or even watch a K-drama without subtitles, most of what you need to understand comes down to six basic question types: what, where, when, who, how, and how much. If you can form these questions, you can navigate restaurants, ask for directions, learn about people's lives, and participate in real conversations. This lesson gives you the tools to do exactly that.

SECTION 2

Core Principles of Korean Question Words

Before diving into individual question words, you need to understand a few foundational principles that make Korean questions different from English ones. Korean is a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) language, which means the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. This is the single most important structural difference to internalize. In English, you say "What do you eat?" but in Korean, the literal structure is closer to "You what eat?" Additionally, Korean uses particles — small grammatical markers attached to words — to indicate the role of each word in a sentence, and the verb ending changes to signal that a sentence is a question.

SOV Word Order

Korean sentences follow Subject-Object-Verb order. The question word replaces the unknown information in its natural position, and the verb stays at the end. You do not need to rearrange the sentence the way English does.

Question-Ending Markers

In polite speech, Korean questions end with markers like -요 (-yo) attached to the verb stem, combined with rising intonation. The sentence ending tells the listener that a question is being asked, even without a question mark in speech.

Particles Mark Roles

Particles such as 은/는 (topic), 이/가 (subject), and 을/를 (object) attach to nouns to show their grammatical function. Question words sometimes take these particles to clarify their role in the sentence.

Speech Levels Matter

Korean has multiple speech levels based on formality and politeness. This lesson focuses on the polite informal level (해요체, haeyoche), which is the most versatile and commonly used in everyday conversation.

Context Drops Subjects

Korean speakers often drop the subject when it is obvious from context. So "What do you eat?" might simply become "뭐 먹어요?" (mwo meogeoyo?) — literally just "What eat?" — because 'you' is understood.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of Korean sentence structure like a fill-in-the-blank game. The sentence is a template with slots for subject, object, and verb. When you ask a question, you simply swap out the unknown slot with a question word and keep everything else in place. It is like replacing a puzzle piece with a question-mark piece — the rest of the puzzle stays assembled. The verb always sits at the end, like a period that also tells the listener "this is a question."

SECTION 3

Visual Explanation — The Six Question Words

The six essential Korean question words (의문사) are displayed here in their Hangul forms with Romanized pronunciations. Notice that each word replaces a specific type of unknown information: things (뭐), places (어디), times (언제), people (누구), methods (어떻게), and amounts (얼마).

As shown in the diagram above, Korean has six primary question words, collectively called 의문사 (uimunsa). Each one targets a specific category of missing information. When you construct a question, you simply identify which piece of information you are seeking — a thing, a place, a time, a person, a method, or an amount — and insert the corresponding question word into the slot where that information would normally appear in a statement. The verb remains at the end of the sentence, and your intonation rises slightly to signal the question.

SECTION 4

How Korean Questions Work — Sentence Patterns

Understanding Korean question formation requires you to see how statements and questions relate to each other. In English, forming a question often involves flipping word order ("You eat pizza" → "What do you eat?"). In Korean, the transformation is much simpler. You keep the same sentence structure and replace the unknown element with a question word. Let us examine the core pattern using the polite informal speech level (해요체), which is the most practical for daily conversation.

Statement-to-Question Transformation

KOREAN QUESTION PATTERN

[Subject] + [Question Word] + [Verb-요?]

The subject is often dropped when obvious from context. The question word fills the slot of the unknown information. The verb ends with -요 and rising intonation to mark the question.

Example Transformations

Each question replaces the unknown element with the corresponding question word while keeping the verb at the end.

Statement (Korean)	Question (Korean)	English Translation
피자를 먹어요.	뭐 먹어요?	"I eat pizza." → "What do you eat?"
학교에 가요.	어디에 가요?	"I go to school." → "Where do you go?"
3시에 만나요.	언제 만나요?	"We meet at 3." → "When do we meet?"
민수가 왔어요.	누가 왔어요?	"Minsu came." → "Who came?"
버스로 가요.	어떻게 가요?	"I go by bus." → "How do you go?"
5000원이에요.	얼마예요?	"It's 5000 won." → "How much is it?"

⚠️ Watch Out: 누구 vs. 누가

When 누구 (who) is the subject of the sentence, it combines with the subject particle 가 and contracts to 누가 (nuga). This is a common exception that trips up beginners. You say "누가 왔어요?" (Who came?) but "누구를 만나요?" (Who do you meet?) because in the second sentence, "who" is the object, not the subject.

SECTION 5

Detailed Breakdown — Each Question Word in Action

Now that you understand the overall pattern, let us examine each question word individually with example sentences, pronunciation tips, and common real-life contexts. The diagram below shows how each question word fits into a typical conversational scenario, and the table that follows provides multiple example sentences for each.

This radial diagram shows all six question words branching from the central concept of 의문사 (interrogative words), each with a practical example sentence you would encounter in everyday Korean life.

Complete reference table of the six Korean question words with pronunciation, usage notes, and example sentences.

Question Word	Pronunciation	Usage	Example Sentence
뭐 / 무엇	`mwo / mueot`	Asks about things, activities, or ideas	취미가 뭐예요? (What is your hobby?)
어디	`eodi`	Asks about places or locations	어디에서 왔어요? (Where did you come from?)
언제	`eonje`	Asks about time or timing	시험이 언제예요? (When is the exam?)
누구	`nugu`	Asks about people (누가 when subject)	누구랑 갔어요? (Who did you go with?)
어떻게	`eotteoke`	Asks about method, manner, or condition	한국어를 어떻게 공부해요? (How do you study Korean?)
얼마	`eolma`	Asks about price, amount, or quantity	커피가 얼마예요? (How much is the coffee?)

💡 Bonus: 뭐 vs. 무엇

You will see both 뭐 and 무엇 used for "what." They mean the same thing, but 뭐 is the casual, conversational form — think of it as a contraction, like saying "what's" instead of "what is." In everyday speech, Koreans almost always use 뭐. You will encounter 무엇 mainly in writing or formal contexts.

SECTION 6

Worked Example — Building a Conversation

Let us walk through a realistic scenario step by step. Imagine you are at a Korean café and you want to order a drink, ask the price, and find out when the café closes. We will build each question using the patterns from the previous sections.

At a Korean Café — Ordering and Asking Questions

Step 1 — Ask what drinks are available (뭐)You want to know what drinks are available. The word for "drink" is 음료 (eumryo), and the verb "to have / there is" is 있다 (itda), which becomes 있어요 (isseoyo) in polite form. You replace the unknown item with 뭐. Since the context is clear (you are at a café), you can drop the subject.

뭐 있어요? (mwo isseoyo?) — "What do you have?"

Step 2 — Ask the price (얼마)After seeing the menu, you want to know the price of an iced Americano (아이스 아메리카노). The verb for "to be" (for prices/amounts) is 이에요/예요 (ieyo/yeyo). You use 얼마 to replace the unknown price. The demonstrative 이거 (igeo, "this") can point to the menu item.

이거 얼마예요? (igeo eolmayeyo?) — "How much is this?"

Step 3 — Ask when the café closes (언제)You want to know the closing time. The verb "to close" is 닫다 (datda), which becomes 닫아요 (dadayo) in polite form. You replace the unknown time with 언제. The topic particle can optionally mark the café: 카페는 (kapeneun).

언제 닫아요? (eonje dadayo?) — "When do you close?"

Step 4 — Ask where the restroom is (어디)Before leaving, you need to find the restroom. The word for "restroom" is 화장실 (hwajangsil). You use 어디 for the unknown location. Since you are identifying where something is, the subject particle 이 attaches to 화장실, and the verb "to be" (for location/identity) is 이에요/예요.

화장실이 어디예요? (hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?) — "Where is the restroom?"

Step 5 — Ask how to get to the subway (어떻게)As you leave, you want to know how to get to the nearest subway station. The verb "to go" is 가다 (gada), which becomes 가요 (gayo) in polite form. You use 어떻게 for the unknown method. The destination "subway station" is 지하철역 (jihacheol-yeok), marked with the destination particle 에.

지하철역에 어떻게 가요? (jihacheol-yeoge eotteoke gayo?) — "How do I get to the subway station?"

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Notice how every question followed the same basic recipe: identify the unknown, choose the right question word, slot it into the sentence where the answer would go, and end with a polite verb form. It is like using a GPS — you type in your destination (the verb), mark your starting point (the subject), and the question word is like the "locate me" button that asks "where am I right now?" Once you master this pattern, you can construct hundreds of different questions.

SECTION 7

Comparing Korean and English Question Structures

Understanding the differences and similarities between Korean and English question formation helps you avoid common mistakes. While both languages use dedicated question words, the way those words interact with the rest of the sentence is fundamentally different. The table below highlights the key structural differences so you can consciously avoid "thinking in English" when forming Korean questions.

Key structural differences between English and Korean information questions.

Feature	English	Korean
Word order	SVO — question word moves to the front	SOV — question word stays in place
Auxiliary verbs	Requires "do/does/did" ("What do you eat?")	No auxiliary needed (뭐 먹어요?)
Subject dropping	Subject is almost always stated	Subject is frequently dropped when clear from context
Question marking	Word order inversion + intonation	Verb ending (-요?) + rising intonation
Politeness level	Context-dependent; no grammatical marking	Built into the verb ending (반말 vs. 존댓말)
Particles	Prepositions before nouns ("to the store")	Particles after nouns (가게에, "store-to")

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

The biggest advantage Korean has for question-formation is simplicity: you do not need to juggle auxiliary verbs or rearrange word order. Think of English questions like rearranging furniture in a room — you have to move the couch (question word) to the front door and bring in a helper (auxiliary verb). Korean questions are like swapping out a single lamp — everything else stays in place. Once you stop trying to translate English word order into Korean, forming questions becomes much more intuitive.

SECTION 8

Connection to Advanced Question Patterns

The six question words you learned today are your foundation, but Korean has additional question patterns that build directly on these basics. As you advance, you will encounter indirect questions, rhetorical questions, and more nuanced question words. The table below previews how today's basic forms connect to more advanced structures you will study in future lessons.

How basic question words expand into advanced grammar patterns.

Basic (This Lesson)	Advanced (Future Lessons)	What Changes
뭐 먹어요? (What do you eat?)	뭐 먹는지 알아요? (Do you know what they eat?)	Indirect/embedded question using -는지
어디 가요? (Where are you going?)	어디로 가실 거예요? (Where will you be going?)	Directional particle -로 + future tense + honorifics
누구예요? (Who is it?)	누구한테 물어봐야 해요? (Who should I ask?)	Indirect object particle -한테 + obligation grammar
얼마예요? (How much is it?)	얼마나 걸려요? (How long does it take?)	얼마나 extends "how much" to "how much/many/long"
어떻게 해요? (How do you do it?)	어떤 음식을 좋아해요? (What kind of food do you like?)	어떤 ("what kind of") is related to 어떻게 but modifies nouns

As you can see, every advanced pattern is simply the basic question word plus additional grammar. Mastering today's six question words is like learning the roots of a tree — the branches (advanced patterns) grow naturally from them. In your next lessons, you will explore 어떤 (what kind of), 왜 (why), and 얼마나 (how much/many/long), which are natural extensions of the patterns you learned today.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

In Korean, when you form an information question, the question word stays in the position where the answer would go, rather than moving to the front of the sentence as in English. Explain why this is possible in Korean but not in English. What grammatical feature of Korean allows this flexibility?

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

Translate the following English question into Korean using the polite informal speech level (해요체): "What do you study?" Hint: The verb "to study" is 공부하다 (gongbuhada).

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

Your Korean friend texts you: "내일 만나요!" (Let's meet tomorrow!). Write three follow-up questions using three different question words (어디, 언제, 누구) to find out the details of the meeting. Use polite informal speech.

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Imagine you are shopping at a market in Seoul. You see a jacket you like but need more information before buying it. Write a mini-conversation (at least 4 questions) where you ask the shopkeeper about the jacket using at least four different question words. Include both your questions and plausible answers from the shopkeeper.

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

A common mistake among English-speaking Korean learners is to form questions by translating word-for-word from English. For example, a student might try to say "Where do you live?" as *"어디 하다 너 살다?"* — literally placing "where" first, adding a "do" equivalent, a pronoun, and an unconjugated verb. Identify at least three specific errors in this attempt and explain why each one violates Korean grammar rules you learned in this lesson.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

Korean information questions rely on six essential question words (의문사): 뭐 (what), 어디 (where), 언제 (when), 누구 (who), 어떻게 (how), and 얼마 (how much). Unlike English, Korean follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, so the question word stays in the slot where the answer would naturally appear, and the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. There is no need for auxiliary verbs like "do" or "does."

Questions are marked by the polite verb ending -요 (-yo) combined with rising intonation. Particles (은/는, 이/가, 을/를, 에, -에서) attach to nouns to mark their grammatical roles, which is why word order can be flexible. Remember that 누구 contracts to 누가 when it serves as the subject, and that subjects are often dropped when they are clear from context. With these six words and the SOV pattern, you can ask about things, places, times, people, methods, and prices — covering the vast majority of questions you will ever need in everyday Korean conversation.