뭐 vs 무슨 vs 어느 vs 어떤 Question Words

Hobbies and Preferences

English	Korean	How to ask (반말non-polite, 존댓말polite)	How to answer (반말non-polite, 존댓말polite)
Hobby	취미	Non-polite: 취미가 뭐야? Polite: 취미가 뭐예요? Honorifics: 취미가 어떻게 되세요?	내 취미는C이야/V야. 제 취미는C이에요/V예요 or 입니다. [EX] 여행traveling이야/이에요/입니다. 농구basketball야/예요/입니다.   Verb stem + ~는 것(거 colloquial) = ~ing 책 읽는 거예요. (My hobby) is reading. 한국어 공부하는 거예요. It’s studying Korean.
Likes		무슨 + N : what (kind of) + N 어떤 + N : what kind of N – See below for details   무슨/어떤 N을/를 좋아해요/좋아하세요?	나는 N을/를 좋아해. 저는N을/를 좋아해요.
Dislikes		무슨/어떤 N을/를 싫어해요/싫어하세요?	나는 N을/를 싫어해. 저는N을/를 싫어해요.

👩🏻‍🏫 어떤 + Noun : what kind/sort/type of + N

• 어떤 is from 어떻다(dictionary form of 어떻게 how): “how” questions require description
• The most general spectrum of a question:
  answer can be anything including a genre(type), a specific name, or detailed description.
• Can be used about both objects and people

어떤 가수 좋아해요?      What kind of singer(s) do you like?
어떤 음악 자주 들어요? What kind of music do you often listen to?
– 저는 힙합HipHop을 좋아해요.
                        – 저는 방탄소년단BTS 노래song를 좋아해요.
                        – 저는 조용한quite 노래를 좋아해요.

👩🏻‍🏫 뭐 what (pronoun) : used by itself

뭐 할까?            What shall we do?
뭐 좋아해요?     What do you like?
뭐 먹지?            What should we eat?
이름이 뭐예요? What is your name?

👩🏻‍🏫 무슨 + Noun : what + N (always comes with a noun)

오늘 무슨 요일이죠?                 What day is it today? [curious]

무슨 말이야 (말이에요)?           What words are they?
= 1) What are you talking about?
    2) What does it mean? [asking the definition]

무슨 소리야 (소리예요)?          What sound is it?
= What are you talking about?

무슨 일이야 (일이에요)?           What matter is it?
= What’s the matter? What’s going on?

무슨 음악 좋아하세요? What music do you like?
                                       [similar to 어떤 음악 좋아하세요? – mostly interchangeable]

BUT You cannot use 무슨 with people because it means “what”!
To ask what kind of people they like: 어떤 사람 좋아해요?

When a verb consists of [Noun+하다], you use 무슨 because of the noun.

생각하다                      👉 무슨 생각해? What are you thinking?
일하다                          👉 무슨 일해? What do you do for living?
얘기(=이야기)하다       👉 무슨 얘기했어? What did you talk about?

👩🏻‍🏫 어느 + Noun : which + N

You have the possible options in mind or know what the options are, and you are asking which one among those options.

어느 나라 사람이에요? Which country person are you? (Where are you from?)
둘 중에 어느 게 더 좋아요?       Between the two, which one do you like more?
어느 쪽으로 가요?                    Which direction (limited options usually) are you going?

Answer the following questions in Korean. 다음 질문에 한국어로 답하세요. 1. 무슨 색깔 좋아하세요? What color do you like?      _____________________________________________________ How to answer:        저는 [빨간색/노란색/파란색/보라색/검정색/흰색/etc]을 좋아해요.                                  저는 [빨간색/노란색/파란색/보라색/검정색/흰색/etc]이 좋아요.     2. 무슨 음식 좋아하세요?             _____________________________________________________  3. 그럼 무슨 음식 싫어하세요?                _____________________________________________________  4. 어느 한국 연예인celebrity 좋아해요?             _____________________________________________________ 5. 취미가 어떻게 되세요?                        _____________________________________________________