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왜 (wae) means “why” in Korean. It is used to ask about the reason or purpose behind something.
Example Sentences:
왜 전화했어요? (wae jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo?) = Why did you call?
왜 (wae) = why
전화했어요 (jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo) = polite past tense of 전화하다, which means “to call”
왜 가지 않았어요? (wae ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo?) = Why didn’t you go?
왜 (wae) = why
가지 않았어요 (ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo) = polite past tense of 가지 않다, which means “to not go”
왜 안 왔어요? (wae an wa-sseo-yo?) = Why didn’t you come?
왜 (wae) = why
안 (an) = not
왔어요 (wa-sseo-yo) = polite past tense of 오다 (oda), which means “to come.”
| English | Korean | Revised Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Why did you call? | 왜 전화했어요? | wae jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo |
| Why didn’t you go? | 왜 가지 않았어요? | wae ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo |
| Why didn’t you come? | 왜 안 왔어요? | wae an wa-sseo-yo |
