At a cafe
- A:이게 뭐예요?
- B:커피예요.
- A:그리고 저건 뭐예요?
- B:케이크예요.
- A:주말에 뭐 해요?
- B:친구하고 같이 카페에 가요.
- A:오늘도 뭐 해요?
- B:공부해요. 그런데 커피도 마시고 싶어요.
뭐예요 / 뭐 해요 (Back to Question words)
what is it? vs what are you doing?
mwo-ye-yo / mwo hae-yo
Two questions that look alike but use different verbs: 예요 (be) vs 해요 (do).
Notes
- 뭐예요? = 뭐 + 이에요/예요 → “What is it?” (asking for identity).
- 뭐 해요? = 뭐 + 하다 → “What are you doing?” / “What do you do?” (asking about an action).
- Tip: if you can answer with a noun (책이에요), use 뭐예요. If you answer with a verb (공부해요), use 뭐 해요.
뭐예요? — What is it?
Use with 이다 (이에요/예요) when asking what something or someone is.
- 이게 뭐예요?What is this?
- 저게 뭐예요?What is that?
- 이름이 뭐예요?What is your name?
뭐 해요? — What are you doing?
Use with 하다 when asking what someone does or is doing.
- 지금 뭐 해요?What are you doing now?
- 주말에 뭐 해요?What do you do on the weekend?
- 내일 뭐 해요?What are you doing tomorrow?
Side by side
Same 뭐, different endings — different answers.
- A: 이게 뭐예요? B: 책이에요.A: What is this? B: It’s a book.
- A: 지금 뭐 해요? B: 책을 읽어요.A: What are you doing now? B: I’m reading a book.
Conversations
Read the Korean first. Tap EN to check the translation.
Meeting a classmate
- A:이름이 뭐예요?
- B:민수예요. 이름이 뭐예요?
- A:지영이에요. 지금 뭐 해요?
- B:한국어를 공부해요.
- A:그래요. 그럼 같이 공부해요.
- B:좋아요.