Meaning
뭐라고?
mworago?
What did you say? / What?
Real Feeling
What Koreans really mean
This expression is very informal and direct. It's commonly used among close friends, peers, or to those younger than oneself. Using it to an elder, a superior, or a stranger can be perceived as rude or disrespectful, as it lacks polite endings. It can also imply 'Did I hear that right?' or 'Are you serious?' when expressing surprise.
💬 Used in real life
• Said when you didn't quite catch what your friend mumbled and need them to repeat it.
• Used when a peer tells you something unexpected or slightly unbelievable, and you're asking for clarification or expressing mild shock.
How It's Used
Real example sentences — tap any bubble to explore it
Similar Expressions
Related feelings and meanings — click to explore
Grammar Breakdown
Part by part — learn the structure, not just the meaning
뭐mwointerrogative pronoun
interrogative pronoun
Means 'what', a casual abbreviation of 무엇 (mueot).
-라고-ragoquotative particle / informal interrogative ending
quotative particle / informal interrogative ending
This particle is used to quote or refer to what someone said, but here, it functions as an informal interrogative ending (contraction of 라고 해?). It makes the question direct and informal, roughly meaning 'saying what?' or 'what (did you say)?'.
Tags
Korean expressions carry layers of meaning that direct translation misses. The real meaning lives in the emotion, context, and cultural moment.
Heard another Korean expression?
Decode it instantly — or tell us what you want to say.