왜 (wae) in Korean — what it means and how idols actually say it
· 1 min read
왜 (wae) means why. It is "why", and when stretched out, "why are you like this". In the 102 idol clips we have scripted, it appears 835 times — here is how it sounds in real speech, not a textbook.
What wae means
왜 = why. The forms you will hear most: 왜?, 왜 밥 안 먹어, 왜 이렇게.
왜 in real lines
밥 안 먹을래? 왜 밥 안 먹어? bap an meogeullae? wae bap an meogeo? Aren't you going to have any? Why aren't you eating? — SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN — eating cuts (EP.3) · hear this line
왜 이렇게 빨라 왜 이렇게 빨라. wae ireoke ppalla wae ireoke ppalla. Why are you so fast Why are you so fast. — Running Man, Zombie special — legend cuts · hear this line
왜 왜 디노라고 생각하시는 거죠? wae wae dinorago saenggakasineun geojyo? Why do you think it's DINO? — SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN — top 30 most-viewed cuts (EP.9) · hear this line
그래 - 그걸 왜 물어보는 거야? geurae - geugeol wae mureoboneun geoya? Exactly -Why are you asking that? — SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN — mafia game cuts (EP.2) · hear this line
How to say it
The ㅙ sounds like "weh". Stretched 왜~ is whining; sharp 왜! is a challenge. Check any line with the pronunciation tool.
Casual or polite?
Casual. 왜요? is polite. For strangers, 무슨 일이세요? is softer.
What it pairs with in our clips
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