Part 4 - Basic Question Words & Patterns

In this part, you will learn the most important Korean question words. These are essential for making questions in conversation and for the TOPIK I test. Learning these words will help you ask and understand basic questions like **what, who, where, when, how, how many, what kind of**.

Part 4.1 - 뭐 / 무엇 — What

Basic Information

뭐 and 무엇 both mean **what**. They are used when asking about **things** or **objects**.

- **뭐** → casual and very common in speech.
- **무엇** → more formal or written, but also used in conversation.

Grammar Rule

You can use 뭐 / 무엇 as the subject or object in a question:

• 뭐 + Verb → What do (you) Verb?
• 무엇을 → formal object form, often shortened to 뭐.

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• 뭐 is very common in daily speech.
• 무엇 is used more in writing or formal speech.
• 무엇을 → can be shortened to 뭐 in casual speech.

Summary

Use 뭐 or 무엇 to ask about **things** or **objects**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 뭐 + Verb → What do (you) Verb?
• 무엇을 + Verb → What do (you) Verb?

End of Lesson

Now you know how to ask "**what**" questions. Practice using both 뭐 and 무엇!

Part 4.2 - 누구 — Who

Basic Information

**누구** means **who**. It is used to ask about **people**.

Grammar Rule

• 누구 + Verb → Who does (Verb)?
• 누구를 + Verb → Whom (as object).
• 누구의 + Noun → Whose + Noun.

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• 누구 can be used as subject, object, or possessive.
• 누구의 → often shortened to 누구 when speaking.

Summary

Use 누구 to ask about **people** or **ownership**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 누구예요?
• 누구를 + Verb?
• 누구의 + Noun?

End of Lesson

Now you can ask **who** questions in Korean!

Part 4.3 - 어디 — Where

Basic Information

**어디** means **where**. It is used to ask about places or locations.

Grammar Rule

• 어디 + Verb → Where (do you) Verb?
• 어디에서 + Verb → Where (at/in/from) do you Verb?
• 어디에 → Where is (something)? / Where to?

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• 어디 is very flexible → can use with 에 or 에서 depending on the verb.
• 어디에 → static location. 어디에서 → dynamic action.

Summary

Use 어디 to ask about **locations** or **places**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 어디예요?
• 어디에 있어요?
• 어디에서 + Verb?

End of Lesson

Now you can ask "**where**" questions in Korean!

Part 4.4 - 언제 — When

Basic Information

**언제** means **when**. It is used to ask about time or dates.

Grammar Rule

• 언제 + Verb → When (do you) Verb?
• 언제예요? → When is it?

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• 언제 is used to ask about **time** or **date**.
• Can be used alone or with a verb.

Summary

Use 언제 to ask about **when** something happens.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 언제예요?
• 언제 + Verb?

End of Lesson

Now you can ask "**when**" questions in Korean!

Part 4.5 - 몇 — How Many, What Time

Basic Information

**몇** means **how many** or **what number**. It is used to ask about quantity or time.

Grammar Rule

• 몇 + Counter + Verb → How many (items)?
• 몇 시 → What time?

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• Use 몇 + Counter.
• 몇 시 is fixed for **time** questions.
• Common counters: 명 (people), 개 (things), 번 (number of times).

Summary

Use 몇 to ask about **number, quantity**, or **time**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 몇 시예요?
• 몇 명이에요?
• 몇 개 있어요?

End of Lesson

Now you can ask "**how many**" or "**what time**" questions!

Part 4.6 - 어떻게 — How

Basic Information

**어떻게** means **how**. It is used to ask about methods, ways, or conditions.

Grammar Rule

• 어떻게 + Verb → How do (you) Verb?
• 어떻게 해요? → How do (you) do it?

Example Sentences

Important Notes

• 어떻게 can mean "**in what way**" or "**how**".
• 어떻게 해요? → Very common phrase → "How do you do that?"

Summary

Use 어떻게 to ask about **ways, methods, or manner**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 어떻게 + Verb?
• 어떻게 해요?

End of Lesson

Now you can ask "**how**" questions in Korean!

Part 4.7 - 어느 / 무슨 — Which / What Kind of

Basic Information

**어느** and **무슨** are both used to ask about choices, types, or kinds of things. But they are used in slightly different ways:

• 어느 → "Which" — used when choosing from **specific known options**.
• 무슨 → "What kind of" — used when asking about **general type or kind** without a limited set of choices.

Grammar Rule

• 어느 + noun + verb → Which (noun)...?
• 무슨 + noun + verb → What kind of (noun)...?

Example Sentences

어느 — Which (specific choice)

무슨 — What kind of (general type)

Important Notes

• Use 어느 when choosing between **known or specific options** (you know the list of choices).
• Use 무슨 when asking about **general type or kind**, no specific list needed.
• Example difference:
  → 어느 영화? (Which movie? → you know 2-3 movies, asking which one)
  → 무슨 영화 좋아하세요? (What kind of movie do you like? → action, comedy, drama... any type)

Summary

👉 Use 어느 for "**which**" when choosing between known options.
👉 Use 무슨 for "**what kind of**" when asking about the general type or kind.
These are both very common and useful in **TOPIK I** and daily Korean!

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 어느 + noun + verb → Which (noun)...?
• 무슨 + noun + verb → What kind of (noun)...?

End of Lesson

Now you know how to use both 어느 and 무슨 correctly!
Practice making your own questions with them — it will help you sound more natural and fluent in Korean. 화이팅! ✨