뭐 (mwo) in Korean — what it means and how idols actually say it
· 1 min read
뭐 (mwo) means what / something. It is "what" as a question, but just as often a shrug — "whatever, something". In the 102 idol clips we have scripted, it appears 1341 times — here is how it sounds in real speech, not a textbook.
What mwo means
뭐 = what / something. The forms you will hear most: 뭐야, 뭐 먹을래, 뭐 어때.
뭐 in real lines
Hey buddy 뭐가 걱정이야~ Hey buddy mwoga geokjeongiya~ Hey buddy what’s your worry?~ — SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN — top 30 most-viewed cuts (EP.9) · hear this line
키가 이런 애가... -내가 뭐? kiga ireon aega... -naega mwo? A guy this tall... -What about me? — SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN — mafia game cuts (EP.2) · hear this line
이건 뭐지? 혼자 빛나고 있는데? igeon mwoji? honja binnago inneunde? What's this? It's glowing on its own. — TXT, TO DO X TXT EP.94 — HUENINGKAI's Day 1 · hear this line
잠깐만 있어봐 둘이 뭐하는 거야? jamkkanman isseobwa duri mwohaneun geoya? Wait a minute, What are you two doing? — Running Man, Happy Kwangsoo Day + Revenge Maze — legend cuts · hear this line
How to say it
One syllable, closer to "mwuh" than "mow". Rising pitch = "what?", flat = "something" or a shrug. Check any line with the pronunciation tool.
Casual or polite?
Casual. 뭐요? is polite, 네? is the safer polite "pardon?".
What it pairs with in our clips
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