무엇

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 무엇. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 무엇, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 무엇 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 무엇 you have here. The definition of the word 무엇 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of무엇, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Korean

Alternative forms

  • 뭐 (mwo) (colloquially dominant form)

Etymology

Originally a contraction of Middle Korean 므스〮 (mùsú, “what”) + 것 (kès, “thing”).

First attested in the Sok samgang haengsildo jungganbon (續三綱行實圖 重刊本 / 속삼강행실도 중간본), 1581, as Middle Korean 므엇 (Yale: mues), also given as 무엇 (Yale: mwues) in the same work.

Also attested in the Sohak eonhae (小學諺解 / 소학언해), 1586, as Middle Korean 므섯 (Yale: muses). This is the more conservative form, although it happens to be attested slightly later.

Displaced equivalent Middle Korean pronouns 므스〮 (Yale: mùsú), 므슴〮 (Yale: mùsúm), 므슥〮 (Yale: mùsúk).

Pronunciation

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?mueot
Revised Romanization (translit.)?mueos
McCune–Reischauer?muŏt
Yale Romanization?mues
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 무엇의 / 무엇에 / 무엇까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Pronoun

무엇 • (mueot)

  1. (interrogative pronoun) what - used in questions
    이게 뭐예요?
    ige mwoyeyo?
    What is this?
    뭐라고 했어요?
    mworago haesseoyo?
    What did say?
  2. something, anything
    무엇인가가 실제와 다른 것처럼 주장하거나 행동하다.
    mueosin'ga-ga silje-wa dareun geotcheoreom jujanghageona haengdonghada.
    to claim that or act as if something is different from what it actually is
    뭐 먹었어요?
    mwo meogeosseoyo?
    Have eaten something?

Derived terms

  • 무엇하다 (mueothada, “to be awkward, to be off (euphemistic)”)

References

  • 이광호 (Yi Gwang-ho) (2009) “'므스'와 '므슥/므슴/므슷'의 의미특성 및 형태변화 [meuseu wa meuseuk/meuseum/meuseut ui uimiteukseong mit hyeongtaebyeonhwa]”, in Gugeo gungmunhak, volume 151, pages 35—57
  • 장요한 (Jang Yo-han) (2013) “중세국어 의문사 '므스'류의 교체 양상과 단일화 [jungsegugeo uimunsa meuseu ryuui gyoche yangsanggwa danilhwa]”, in Eoneowa jeongbo sahoe, volume 20, pages 235—259
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia