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How to say Why? in Korean: wae yo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. When do Koreans say "Why?" — 왜요? (waeyo?)

Koreans use it when they don't understand something or want to know the reason.

Q2. Is "Why?" — 왜요? (waeyo?) polite enough?

Yes. "왜요? (waeyo?)" is polite and commonly used. You can also say "왜?" (wae?) casually with friends.

Q3. What should I say when I don't understand?

You can say "Why is that?" — 그게 왜요? (geu-ge waeyo?).

EPS TOPIK: How to Say "Why?" in Korean

What does "왜요? (waeyo)" mean?

왜요? means "Why?" Polite question. 왜 (wae) = why, 요 (yo) = polite ending. One of the most frequent question words in Korea. Used when you don't understand reason, are curious, or hear unexpected news.

Polite: 왜요? (wae-yo?) - Standard
Formal: 왜입니까? (wae-im-ni-kka?) - Business, elders
Casual: 왜? (wae?) - Close friends

Grammar Breakdown

왜 (wae) = why (question word)
요 (yo) = polite particle
입니까? (imnikka?) = is it? formal
→ 왜요? = Why + polite → Why?

When to Use It

1. Don't understand reason: Ask for explanation.
2. Unexpected news: Curious.
3. Daily conversation: Smooth communication.

Real-Life Examples

왜요? 무슨 일 있어요? wae-yo? mu-seun il iss-eo-yo?

Why? What's wrong?

왜입니까? 이해가 안 됩니다. wae-im-ni-kka? i-hae-ga an doem-ni-da.

Why? I don't understand. (Formal)

왜? 갑자기? wae? gap-ja-gi?

Why? Suddenly? (Casual)

그게 왜요? geu-ge wae-yo?

Why is that?

Similar Expressions

• 어떻게요? (eotteokeyo?) - How?
• 무슨 일이에요? (museun irieyo?) - What happened?
• 왜 그래요? (wae geuraeyo?) - Why are you like that?

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