독일어 의문사: '무엇' (Was)
was를 쓰면 돼요. 정말 쉽고 변하지 않는 마법 같은 질문 단어예요!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The word 'was' is the German equivalent of 'what' and is used to ask about things, actions, or abstract concepts.
- Use 'was' to ask about objects: 'Was ist das?' (What is that?)
- Use 'was' for general actions: 'Was machst du?' (What are you doing?)
- Always place 'was' at the start of a question: 'Was hast du gesagt?' (What did you say?)
Overview
was입니다. 한국어에서 «무엇» 혹은 «뭐»에 해당하는 이 단어는 일상 대화에서 정말 자주 쓰이죠. 카페에서 친구가 무언가를 먹고 있을 때 «뭐 먹어?»라고 묻거나, 수업 시간에 모르는 단어가 나왔을 때 «이게 뭐야?»라고 물을 때 바로 was를 사용합니다.was는 아주 독특하고 편리한 특징이 있습니다.was는 주어 자리에 오든 목적어 자리에 오든 항상 was라는 형태를 유지합니다. 이는 독일어의 다른 대명사들이 성(Gender)과 격(Case)에 따라 복잡하게 변하는 것과 비교하면 정말 고마운 규칙이죠.was를 어떻게 정확하게 활용하는지, 그리고 한국어와 어떤 점이 다른지 아주 상세히 알아보겠습니다.was는 사람을 제외한 사물, 행동, 추상적인 개념을 물을 때 사용하는 의문 대명사입니다. 가장 중요한 특징은 '불변성'입니다. 독일어는 보통 관사나 대명사가 격에 따라 der, den, dem, des처럼 변하는데, was는 주격(Nominative)과 대격(Accusative)에서 형태가 전혀 변하지 않습니다.was만큼은 예외적으로 한국어의 '무엇'처럼 고정되어 있습니다.wer | was |wen | was |wer(누구)는 격에 따라 wen으로 변하지만, was는 변하지 않죠? 정말 쉽죠? 하지만 주의할 점이 하나 있습니다.was를 쓰지 않습니다.wo-를 붙인 합성어를 사용합니다. 예를 들어, Mit was라고 하면 틀린 문장이 됩니다. 대신 Womit이라고 해야 합니다.r을 넣어 wor- 형태로 만듭니다(예: worüber, woran).was는 항상 문장의 첫 번째 자리에 옵니다. 그 뒤에 바로 동사가 따라옵니다. 한국어는 서술어가 항상 맨 뒤에 오지만, 독일어는 의문문에서 동사의 위치가 매우 중요합니다.Was | ist | das | - |Was | machst | du | heute |Was | hast | du | gesehen |Was 뒤에 동사가 바로 붙습니다. 만약 조동사(können, wollen 등)가 있다면, 조동사가 2위로 오고 본동사는 문장 맨 끝으로 갑니다.was für ein입니다. 이는 «어떤 종류의~»라는 뜻으로, 뒤에 오는 명사의 성과 격에 따라 ein 부분이 변합니다.was für ein | was für eine | was für ein |was für einen | was für eine | was für ein |was는 아주 광범위하게 쓰입니다.- 1단순 사물 식별:
Was ist das?(이게 뭐야?) - 가장 기본입니다. - 2행동 질문:
Was machst du?(뭐 해?) - 일상에서 가장 많이 쓰는 표현이죠. - 3상태 질문:
Was ist los?(무슨 일이야? / 무슨 문제 있어?) - 친구가 걱정될 때 꼭 써보세요. - 4의견 묻기:
Was denkst du?(어떻게 생각해?) - 회의나 대화 중에 의견을 물을 때 필수입니다. - 5간접 의문문:
Ich weiß nicht, was das ist.(나는 그게 뭔지 몰라.) - 여기서was는 문장을 연결하는 접속사 역할을 하며, 동사가 문장 맨 뒤로 이동하는 것, 잊지 마세요!
wo- 합성어를 써야 한다는 점만 기억하면 됩니다.- 1전치사 +
was사용: 한국어 습관 때문에Mit was라고 말하는 경우가 많습니다. 한국어는 «무엇으로»라고 하면 «무엇» + «으로»로 붙여 쓰니까요. 하지만 독일어는 반드시Womit으로 합쳐야 합니다. 이는 독일어의 구조적 특성입니다. - 2어순 오류: 한국어는 주어가 맨 앞에 오지만, 독일어 의문문은
Was뒤에 바로 동사가 와야 합니다.Was du machst?라고 하면 틀립니다.Was machst du?가 맞습니다. - 3사람과 사물 혼동:
was는 오직 사물에만 씁니다. 사람을 물을 때는wer를 써야 합니다. 한국어에서는 «이거 누구야?»와 «이거 뭐야?»를 구분하지만, 학습 초기에는 의문사를 섞어서 쓰는 실수를 자주 합니다.
was와 혼동하기 쉬운 표현들을 비교해 보겠습니다.was | 무엇 | 일반적인 사물/행동 질문 |welcher | 어떤 것 | 선택지가 있을 때(Which) |wer | 누구 | 사람을 물을 때 |welcher는 한국어의 «어떤 것»처럼 여러 개 중 하나를 고를 때 사용합니다. was는 범위가 정해지지 않은 막연한 무엇을 물을 때 씁니다. 한국어의 «뭐»와 «어떤 거»의 차이와 비슷하다고 생각하면 쉽습니다.Was는 항상 변하지 않나요?was입니다. 다른 격(여격, 속격)에서는 거의 쓰이지 않거나 전치사와 결합한 형태(womit, wovon)로 나타나므로, 초보 단계에서는 was의 불변성을 믿고 사용하셔도 좋습니다.Was für ein에서 ein은 왜 변하나요?was für ein 구조에서 ein은 뒤에 오는 명사의 관사 역할을 하기 때문입니다. 즉, 명사의 성과 격을 따라가는 독일어 관사 규칙을 그대로 따르는 것입니다.Was 뒤에 항상 동사가 와야 하나요?3. Question Structure with 'Was'
| Position 1 | Position 2 (Verb) | Position 3 (Subject) | Rest of Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Was
|
ist
|
das
|
?
|
|
Was
|
machst
|
du
|
heute?
|
|
Was
|
hast
|
er
|
gesagt?
|
|
Was
|
möchtest
|
ihr
|
essen?
|
|
Was
|
kann
|
ich
|
tun?
|
|
Was
|
sind
|
deine
|
Hobbys?
|
Common Spoken Contractions
| Full Form | Spoken Form |
|---|---|
|
Was ist
|
Was's
|
|
Was hast du
|
Was hast'n
|
Meanings
The interrogative pronoun 'was' is used to inquire about things, activities, or situations.
Direct Object
Asking about an object or action.
“Was kaufst du?”
“Was liest du?”
Indefinite Pronoun
Used as 'something' in specific contexts.
“Ich habe was für dich.”
“Da ist was im Busch.”
Reference Table
| 격 | 기능 | 예시 | 한국어 번역 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
주격
|
주어 (무엇이...?)
|
Was ist das?
|
이것은 무엇인가요?
|
|
목적격
|
목적어 (무엇을...?)
|
Was kaufst du?
|
무엇을 사나요?
|
|
구어체
|
'etwas'의 줄임말
|
Ich habe was für dich.
|
너를 위한 것이 있어.
|
|
관용 표현
|
어떤 종류의...
|
Was für ein Auto ist das?
|
이것은 어떤 종류의 차인가요?
|
|
숙어
|
무슨 일이야?
|
Was geht?
|
무슨 일이야? / 어떻게 지내?
|
|
명확화
|
다시 말해주세요
|
Was? (비격식)
|
뭐라고요? / 죄송합니다?
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Was tun Sie gerade? (Asking about current activity)
Was machst du gerade? (Asking about current activity)
Was machst'n? (Asking about current activity)
Was geht? (Asking about current activity)
'Was'의 힘
사물
- {das|n} Handy phone
- {das|n} Essen food
행동
- machen to do
- kaufen to buy
추상적인 것
- {die|f} Idee idea
- {der|m} Plan plan
Was vs. Wer
어떤 'W-단어'를 사용해야 할까요?
사람에 대해 묻고 있나요?
사물이나 행동에 대해 묻고 있나요?
흔히 쓰는 'Was' 표현
일상생활
- • Was machst du?
- • Was ist das?
- • Was gibt's?
쇼핑
- • Was kostet das?
- • Was kaufst du?
- • Was für ein Modell?
언어
- • Was bedeutet das?
- • Was hast du gesagt?
- • Wie bitte?
수준별 예문
Was ist das?
What is that?
Was machst du?
What are you doing?
Was ist dein Name?
What is your name?
Was kostet das?
What does that cost?
Was möchtest du trinken?
What would you like to drink?
Was hast du gestern gemacht?
What did you do yesterday?
Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?
What is your favorite food?
Was passiert hier?
What is happening here?
Ich weiß nicht, was er meint.
I don't know what he means.
Was auch immer du sagst, ich bleibe dabei.
Whatever you say, I'm sticking to it.
Was hast du dir dabei gedacht?
What were you thinking?
Was für ein schönes Auto!
What a beautiful car!
Er kam zu spät, was mich sehr geärgert hat.
He arrived late, which annoyed me a lot.
Was die Zukunft bringt, weiß niemand.
What the future brings, nobody knows.
Was mich betrifft, so bin ich einverstanden.
As far as I am concerned, I agree.
Was gibt es Neues?
What's new?
Was immer er auch versucht, es gelingt ihm nicht.
Whatever he tries, he doesn't succeed.
Was das betrifft, sind wir uns einig.
Regarding that, we are in agreement.
Was man nicht weiß, macht einen nicht heiß.
What you don't know won't hurt you.
Was soll das heißen?
What is that supposed to mean?
Was auch immer geschehen mag, wir bleiben standhaft.
Whatever may happen, we remain steadfast.
Was für ein Mensch er auch sein mag, er hat geholfen.
Whatever kind of person he may be, he helped.
Was ist das für eine Art?
What kind of behavior is that?
Was man auch anstellt, es ist nie genug.
Whatever one does, it is never enough.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners mix up 'what' and 'who'.
Learners use 'was' when they should use 'which'.
Learners use 'was' in formal writing where 'etwas' is required.
자주 하는 실수
Was du machst?
Was machst du?
Was ist das Auto?
Welches Auto ist das?
Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?
Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?
Was macht er?
Was macht er?
Was möchtest du essen?
Was möchtest du essen?
Was hast du gesehen?
Was hast du gesehen?
Was ist das für ein?
Was ist das für ein Auto?
Ich weiß, was macht er.
Ich weiß, was er macht.
Was auch immer du sagst.
Was auch immer du sagst.
Was mich betrifft, ich bin bereit.
Was mich betrifft, so bin ich bereit.
Was für ein Mensch er ist, er ist nett.
Was für ein Mensch er auch sein mag, er ist nett.
Was man nicht weiß, tut nicht weh.
Was man nicht weiß, macht einen nicht heiß.
Was soll das?
Was soll das?
문장 패턴
Was ___ du ___?
Was ist ___?
Ich weiß nicht, was ___ ___.
Was auch immer du ___, ___.
Real World Usage
Was machst du gerade?
Was geht?
Was sind Ihre Stärken?
Was kostet das Ticket?
Was ist in der Pizza?
Was bedeutet dieses Wort?
'Etwas' 줄임말
Möchtest du was essen?(뭐 좀 먹을래?)라고 말하는 걸 들었다면, 그건 'etwas'를 줄여서 편하게 말하는 거예요. 우리도 원어민처럼 이렇게 쓸 수 있답니다!
'Was' vs. 'Wie' 함정
Was ist dein Name?(네 이름이 뭐야?)라고 묻지 않도록 조심해요. 영어의 영향으로 그렇게 말하는 경우도 있지만, 올바른 독일어 표현은
Wie ist dein Name?(네 이름은 뭐니?) 또는
Wie heißt du?(네 이름은 무엇이니?) 예요.
정중함이 중요해요
Was?라고 묻는 건 괜찮지만, 선생님이나 직장 상사에게는 항상 Wie bitte? (다시 말씀해 주시겠어요?)라고 말해서 정중함을 지켜주세요.Smart Tips
If you have a choice, use 'welcher'.
Use 'wer' instead of 'was'.
Put the main verb at the end.
Use 'etwas' instead of 'was' for 'something'.
발음
Vowel length
The 'a' in 'was' is short.
Final 's'
The 's' is voiced like a 'z' in German.
Question intonation
Was machst du ↑?
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
암기하기
기억법
Was is for 'What', it's the start of the chat!
시각적 연상
Imagine a giant 'WAS' written on a question mark shaped balloon floating in the sky.
Rhyme
When you want to know the plot, just use 'was' for 'what'!
Story
A detective walks into a room. He points at a mysterious box and asks 'Was ist das?'. He then points at a person and asks 'Was machst du?'. Finally, he looks at the evidence and says 'Was ist passiert?'.
Word Web
챌린지
Ask 5 questions using 'Was' to your German-speaking friends or in your journal today.
문화 노트
Germans are direct. 'Was?' is common but can sound blunt if not softened.
Austrians often use 'Was' followed by 'denn' to soften the question.
Swiss German speakers often use 'Was' in specific dialectal constructions.
Derived from Old High German 'hwaz', related to English 'what'.
대화 시작하기
Was ist dein Lieblingsessen?
Was hast du am Wochenende gemacht?
Was bedeutet dieser Satz für dich?
Was hältst du von der aktuellen Situation?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
___ machst du gerade auf deinem Handy?
Select the right question:
Find and fix the mistake:
Was Pizza magst du am liebsten?
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercises___ machst du?
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Was ist das Auto?
du / machst / was / ?
What is your name?
Was ist das?
möchten / was / du / essen / ?
Was ___ (machen) du?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises___ ist dein Lieblingslied?
du / Was / heute / isst / ?
What are you buying?
1. Was ist das? | 2. Wer ist das? | 3. Was machst du?
Ich habe etwas für dich. (Shorten 'etwas')
How much does the app cost?
___ hast du gestern auf Netflix geschaut?
What did you say?
Asking someone to repeat what they said:
Score: /10
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, use 'wer' for people.
German questions follow V2 word order.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
Use 'was' for general, 'welcher' for specific.
Yes, as an indefinite pronoun.
In direct questions, yes.
Use 'Was für ein...'.
Yes, dialects may use 'was' differently.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
qué
Spanish has 'qué' and 'cuál', while German has 'was' and 'welcher'.
quoi
French requires 'qu'est-ce que' for standard questions.
nani
Japanese is SOV, German is V2.
madha
Arabic has different forms for formal and informal speech.
shenme
Chinese does not change word order for questions.
what
English uses 'do-support' for questions, German does not.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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