'뭐' is a shortened form of '무엇' meaning 'what', used to ask about things or express surprise or rhetorical questions.
Nuances
- Besides basic 'what' meaning, it expresses surprise or rhetorical questions.
- Fits casual and friendly speech.
- Rarely used in formal writing or speech.
When to use
Asking questions, Expressing surprise, Rhetorical questions
In context
'뭐' is mainly used in interrogative sentences, either alone or combined with particles, to form questions. It is very natural and frequently used in everyday conversation.
