Korean for Beginners: Asking Who, What, and Where Questions
Learn to form Korean information questions with 누구, 뭐, and 어디 plus simple verbs, and see how they differ from yes/no questions.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Korean, information questions ask for a missing detail rather than a simple yes or no. The question words 누구 (nugu, who), 뭐 (mwo, what), and 어디 (eodi, where) usually appear where the answer would go, and the verb stays at the end of the sentence. This lesson teaches beginner-friendly patterns such as 어디에 살아요? (eodie sarayo?, Where do you live?) and contrasts them with yes/no questions. You will practice polite -요 (yo) style, which is safe in most everyday situations.
By the end, you can…
- ask who, what, and where questions using 누구, 뭐, and 어디.
- tell an information question apart from a yes/no question in Korean.
- answer simple who, what, and where questions with a basic noun or place.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
어디에 살아요?
Where do you live?
eo-di-e sa-ra-yo
Use 어디에 (eodie) before the verb 살아요 (sarayo, live). The 에 (e) marks location.
뭐 해요?
What are you doing?
mwo hae-yo
뭐 (mwo, what) comes before 해요 (haeyo, do). Very common casual polite question.
누구예요?
Who is it? / Who are you?
nu-gu-ye-yo
누구 (nugu, who) plus 예요 (yeyo, is/am/are). Use when asking about a person.
어디에 있어요?
Where is it?
eo-di-e i-sseo-yo
있어요 (isseoyo) means exist, be located, or have depending on context.
이거 뭐예요?
What is this?
i-geo mwo-ye-yo
이거 (igeo, this thing) plus 뭐예요 (mwoyeyo, what is). Useful when pointing at an object.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Korean information questions keep the normal sentence order: subject, then question word, then verb. The question word replaces the unknown information. For example, 집 (jip, home) becomes 어디 (eodi, where): 어디에 살아요? (eodie sarayo?, Where do you live?). For a person, 친구 (chingu, friend) becomes 누구 (nugu, who): 누구예요? (nuguyeyo?, Who is it?). For a thing, 책 (chaek, book) becomes 뭐 (mwo, what): 이거 뭐예요? (igeo mwoyeyo?, What is this?). Notice that the verb stays at the end.
When to use it
Use these questions when you need a specific piece of information, not a yes or no. Compare 네, 살아요 (ne, sarayo, Yes, I live) with 어디에 살아요? (eodie sarayo?, Where do you live?). The first expects agreement; the second expects a place. In polite -요 style, the same words work in shops, classrooms, and with strangers. For a more formal setting, use -ㅂ니다 style: 어디에 사십니까? (eodie sasimnikka?, Where do you live?). For close friends, casual style drops -요: 어디 살아? (eodi sara?, Where do you live?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어디에 살아요?
Where do you live?eo-di-e sa-ra-yo서울에 살아요.
I live in Seoul.seo-u-re sa-ra-yo누구랑 살아요?
Who do you live with?nu-gu-rang sa-ra-yo친구랑 살아요.
I live with a friend.chin-gu-rang sa-ra-yoA little context goes a long way
The polite -요 style is a safe default with strangers, acquaintances, and people older than you. Koreans often soften questions with a friendly tone rather than adding words like please. When asking 누구 (who), be aware that direct questions about age or identity can feel personal; context and tone matter.
One thing to watch for
Putting the question word at the beginning like English: 뭐 너는 해요? (mwo neoneun haeyo?).
Try this instead: Keep Korean order and place the question word where the answer belongs: 뭐 해요? (mwo haeyo?, What are you doing?) or 이거 뭐예요? (igeo mwoyeyo?, What is this?). The verb stays at the end.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Where do you live?' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
어디에 살아요? (eodie sarayo?)
어디에 (eodie) asks where, and 살아요 (sarayo) is the polite verb live. 어디 살아요? (eodi sarayo?) is also heard and acceptable.
2Turn this into a who question: 친구예요. (chingu-yeyo, It is a friend.)
Show a sample answer
누구예요? (nuguyeyo?)
Replace the answer 친구 (friend) with 누구 (who). The polite copula 예요 stays. 누구세요? (nuguseyo?) is a common alternative when asking who someone is.
3What is the difference between 뭐 해요? and 네, 해요?
Show a sample answer
뭐 해요? asks what are you doing; 네, 해요? asks yes, do you?
뭐 (what) requests information, so it is an information question. 네 (yes) plus a verb forms a yes/no question. Both use polite -요 style.
Put 누구, 뭐, or 어디 where the missing answer would go, keep the verb at the end, and use polite -요 style for everyday information questions.
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