Asking Questions + Question Words (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How) Flashcards
The most basic way to ask a question about a thing or a place is just to do these two things:
1) attach a question mark to the end of your sentence.
2) make a rising intonation.
Ex: 이것이 김치예요. ‘This is kimchi.’
이것이 김치예요? ‘Is this kimchi?’
When you’re asking a question about a thing or a place, there’s no need to be especially more polite than usual because you don’t need to show extra respect toward a thing, an object, or some sort of location.
To ask a question about anyone you’re close with, and who’s a similar age as you or older:
Just use the 요 form with the question mark and a rising intonation.
Ex: 고양이를 좋아해요? ‘Do you like cats?’
To ask a question about anyone you would normally be extra polite toward:
Use the (으)세요 form.
(Note: We used this form as a polite way to make requests to other people.
Ex: 앉다 ‘to sit down.’ –> 앉으세요. ‘Sit down.’)
When used as a question, it’s a polite way to ask a question to anyone who we want to be extra polite toward.
This is because the 으세요 form is actually a polite form for speaking about someone else.
Simply take a verb stem and attach 으세요 if it ends in a consonant, or attach 세요 if it ends in a vowel.
Ex: 고양이를 좋아하세요? ‘Do you like cats?’
Exceptions with (으)세요 form: Verb stems that ends with a 비읍 (ㅂ) or with a 리을 (ㄹ)
If verb stem ends with a 비읍 (ㅂ):
Remove ㅂ –> add 우 –> add 세요.
Ex: 굽다 ‘to bake’ –> 구우세요.
If the verb stem ends with a 리을 (ㄹ):
Remove ㄹ –> add 세요.
Ex: 팔다 ‘to sell’ –> 파세요.
누구
Who
누구 is a noun.
Ex: 어제 누구를 만났어요? ‘Who did you meet yesterday?’
Ex2: 누구를 좋아해요? ‘Who do you like?’
However, any time you’re going to be using ‘who’ 누구 as the subject of a verb
(aka. if 누구 is ‘who’ does something, and would therefore use the Subject Marker 가), it will instead become 누가. This is similar to how 저 (‘I’) + 가 (Subject Marker) –> 제가.
So basically, 누구 (‘who’) + 가 (Subject Marker) –> 누가.
Ex: 어제 누가 요리했어요? ‘Who cooked yesterday?’
Ex2: 누가 한국어를 가르쳐요? ‘Who teaches Korean?’
무엇 / 뭐
What
무엇 is a noun.
In speech this is most often shortened to just 뭐. 무엇 is used more in formal writing.
Ex: 이게 뭐예요? ‘What is this?’
However, when 뭐 is used with the Object Marker 를, it’ll become 뭘, or just 뭐.
Ex: 뭘 공부하고 싶어요? ‘What do you want to study?’
Ex2: 뭐 먹고 싶어요? ‘What do you want to eat?’
When used together with the action verb 하다 ‘to do’ it’ll become 뭐하다.
Ex: 이제 뭐할 거예요? ‘What will you do now?’
어디
Where
어디 is a noun.
Ex: 어디에 갈 거예요? ‘Where will you go?’
Ex2: 제 책은 어디에 있어요? ‘Where is my book?’
Ex3: 어디가 좋아요? ‘Where is good?’
When 어디 is used together with the particle 에, to mark a location, the particle 에 is actually optional.
Ex: 어디 갈 거예요? ‘Where will you go?’
Ex2: 제 책은 어디 있어요? ‘Where is my book?’
When 어디 is used together with the particle 에서, to show the location where something happens, 어디에서 is more often just shortened to 어디서.
Ex: 어디서 왔어요? ‘Where are you from?’
언제
When
언제 is a noun.
Ex: 우리는 언제 만날 수 있어요? ‘When can we meet?’
Ex2: 그 영화를 언제 봤어요? ‘When did you see that movie?’
Ex3: 언제가 좋아요? ‘When is good?’
Ex4: 가게에 언제 가고 싶어요? ‘When do you want to go to the store?’
Ex5: 언제 결혼할 거예요? ‘When will you get married?’
왜
Why
왜 is an adverb.
Ex: 이걸 왜 먹었어요? ‘Why did you eat this?’
Ex2: 그걸 왜 했어요? ‘Why did you do that?’
Ex3: 저걸 왜 보고 싶으세요? ‘Why do you want to see that?’
Ex4: 한국에 왜 가고 싶으세요? “Why do you want to go to Korea?’
Ex5: 한국어를 왜 공부하세요? ‘Why do you study Korean?’
어떻게
How
어떻게 is an adverb.
Ex: 이건 어떻게 할 수 있어요? ‘How can I do this?’
Ex2: 그건 어떻게 달라요? ‘How is that different?’
Ex3: 저건 어떻게 만들었어요? ‘How did you make that?’
Ex4: 서울역에 어떻게 가요? ‘How do I go to Seoul Station?’
To add emphasis to the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) in a sentence:
Place the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) in the beginning of the sentence to add more emphasis to it.
Typically, a question word will be used directly before the verb in a sentence.
Ex: 피자를 언제 먹었어요? ‘When did you eat the pizza?’
But, when you move the question word to the beginning of the sentence instead of before the verb, the question word has more emphasis.
Ex: 언제 피자를 먹었어요? ‘When did you eat the pizza?’
Typically, the topic marker (은/는) is not used with question word nouns (who, what, where, when). So instead:
So instead, use the subject marker (이/가).
Ex: ‘What is expensive’ = 뭐가 비싸요? Not 뭐는.
This applies to all of the nouns who (누구), what (무엇/뭐), where (어디), and when (언제).
