왜

왜 U+C65C, 왜 HANGUL SYLLABLE WAE Composition: ㅇ + ㅙ ← 왛 [U+C65B] Hangul Syllables 왝 → [U+C65D]

왜왝왞왟왠왡왢 왣왤왥왦왧왨왩 왪왫왬왭왮왯왰 왱왲왳왴왵왶왷
와 ←	→ 외

Korean

Etymology 1

Of native Korean origin.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [wɛ(ː)] ~ [we̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [왜(ː)/웨(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wae
McCune–Reischauer?	wae
Yale Romanization?	wāy

Adverb

왜 • (wae)

1. why

   너는 이 가수를 왜 좋아해?

   neo-neun i gasu-reul wae joahae?

   Why do you like this singer?

   그것으로는 네가 왜 전화를 안 했는지 설명이 안 돼.

   geugeos-euro-neun ne-ga wae jeonhwareul an haenneunji seolmyeong-i an dwae.

   That doesn't explain why you didn't phone.

Alternative forms

• 웨 (we) (obsolete, non-standard)

Synonyms

• 어째서 (eojjaeseo)

Derived terms

• 왜케 (waeke)

Etymology 2

From Sino-Korean word from 倭 (“Japan”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [wɛ] ~ [we̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [왜/웨]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wae
McCune–Reischauer?	wae
Yale Romanization?	way

Noun

왜 • (wae)

1. (now derogatory) Japan

   Synonym: 왜국 (waeguk)

2. (now derogatory) Japanese (person)

   Synonym: 왜인 (waein)

See also

• 임진왜란 (imjinwaeran)
• 왜정 (waejeong)

Prefix

왜— • (wae-) (hanja 倭)

1. Japanese

   왜간장 ― waeganjang ― brewed soy sauce (literally, “Japanese soy sauce”)

   왜된장 ― waedoenjang ― miso (literally, “Japanese fermented soybean paste”)

Etymology 3

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

왜 • (wae)

1. 娃:

   (MC reading: 娃 (MC 'ea))

2. 歪:

   (MC reading: 歪)

3. 矮:

   (MC reading: 矮 (MC 'eaX))

4. 媧:

   (MC reading: 媧 (MC kwea|kwae))

5. 蛙:

   (MC reading: 蛙 (MC 'wea|'wae))

References

• Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo).