어떻게
eotteoke
how (adverb — asking about manner or method)
어떤
eotteon
what kind of (adjective — asking about type)
어떻게 vs 어떤: How vs What Kind Of — Korean Question Words Explained
어떻게 (eotteokhge) is an adverb asking about manner or method ('how'), while 어떤 (eotteon) is an adjective asking about type or quality ('what kind of').
Side-by-Side Comparison
| 어떻게 (eotteoke) | 어떤 (eotteon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of Speech | Adverb — modifies a verb | Adjective — modifies a noun |
| What It Asks | The manner, method, or process of an action | The type, quality, or nature of a noun |
| Position in Sentence | Comes before a verb | Comes directly before a noun |
| Sample Question Frame | 어떻게 + verb? (How do you do X?) | 어떤 + noun? (What kind of X?) |
| Root Word | 어떻다 + 게 (adverb suffix) | 어떻다 + ㄴ (adjective modifier suffix) |
Examples in Context
Asking how to get somewhere — using 어떻게
여기에 어떻게 가요?
How do I get here?
Asking how someone's day went — using 어떻게
오늘 하루 어떻게 보냈어요?
How did you spend your day today?
Asking what type of music someone likes — using 어떤
어떤 음악을 좋아해요?
What kind of music do you like?
Asking what kind of person someone is — using 어떤
그 사람은 어떤 사람이에요?
What kind of person is he/she?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Saying 어떻게 사람이에요? instead of 어떤 사람이에요? — 어떻게 cannot modify a noun directly.
- ✗Saying 어떤 왔어요? instead of 어떻게 왔어요? — 어떤 must be followed by a noun, not a verb.
- ✗Confusing 어떻게 with 왜 (why) — 어떻게 asks about the method, 왜 asks for the reason.
- ✗Using 어떻게 생각해요 (What do you think?) when you actually want to ask 어떤 종류예요 (What type is it?) — both are common but serve different purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 어때요 mean and how is it different?
어때요 (eottaeyo) means 'how about it?' or 'what do you think?' It's a casual evaluative question, like '이 영화 어때요? (What do you think of this movie?)'. It comes from the same root 어떻다 but is conjugated differently.
Can 어떤 ever be used alone without a noun?
Rarely in standard speech. In casual conversation, 어떤 거? (which one? / what kind of thing?) is common, where 거 (thing) is implied.
Is 어떻게 the same as 어찌?
어찌 is an older, more literary form of 어떻게. It appears in classical texts, proverbs, and some fixed expressions, but 어떻게 is used in everyday modern Korean.
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