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Unit 6: What is this? (이거 뭐예요?)

Now that you know how to use "이에요 / 예요" (to be), you can start asking people what things are! This is one of the most useful phrases for any language learner.

1. 이거 (i-geo) = This thing

In Korean, the word for "this" is 이 (i), and the word for "thing" is 것 (geot). So "this thing" is 이것 (i-geot).

However, in everyday spoken Korean, 이것 is almost always shortened to 이거 (i-geo) for ease of pronunciation.

  • 이거 = this / this one / this thing (near the speaker)

2. 뭐 (mwo) = What

The Korean word for "what" is 무엇 (mu-eot). Just like 이것, it is usually shortened in spoken Korean to 뭐 (mwo).

3. Putting it together: 이거 뭐예요?

If we combine "this thing" (이거) and "what is?" (뭐 + 예요), we get:

  • 이거 뭐예요? [i-geo mwo-ye-yo?] = What is this?

Notice how we use 예요 because 뭐 ends in a vowel!

Examples in Context:

Scenario 1: A: (Pointing to a drink) 이거 뭐예요? (What is this?) B: 커피예요. (It is coffee.)

Scenario 2: A: 이거 뭐예요? (What is this?) B: 제 핸드폰이에요. (It is my cellphone.)

4. More ways to use 이거

You can also use 이거 with nouns to make simple statements using 이에요/예요.

  • 이거 물이에요. (This is water.)
  • 이거 제 가방이에요. (This is my bag.)
  • 이거 제 책이에요. (This is my book.)

Summary

  • 이거 = this thing
  • 뭐 = what
  • 이거 뭐예요? = What is this?