· Slangdunk Editors
What does 너뭐돼 (neomwodwae) mean? The Korean comeback for show-offs
너뭐돼 (neomwodwae) is “너 (혹시) 뭐 돼?” run together: “Are you… somebody?” It's a playful jab at people acting superior, and it spread from beauty YouTuber LeoJ's vlog in December 2021.
At a glance
- Meaning
- “너 뭐 돼?”, roughly “What, are you somebody?” A playful jab at someone showing off or acting superior.
- Origin
- In December 2021, beauty YouTuber LeoJ asked a show-off friend “혹시 너 뭐 돼?” in a staged vlog skit, and the line became a meme (The PR).
- Careful
- Funny between friends. Said seriously, it's just picking a fight.
- In English
- “Who do you think you are?” or “What are you, somebody?” come close.
At dinner, a daughter says “너 뭐 돼?” to her younger brother, and her mother's spoon freezes. She expects a fight, but both kids are laughing. The characters are invented, but every fact in their conversation has a source.
What does 너뭐돼 (neomwodwae) mean? A daughter explains to her mom
- Mom (52)Did you just say “너 뭐 돼?” to your brother? That's a bit harsh.
- Daughter (23)Mom, it's not an insult. It's a meme, 너뭐돼. People even write it as one word.
- Mom (52)So as a meme it means something else?
- Daughter (23)Same meaning: “What, are you somebody?” But you're not angry. You toss it at someone who's showing off, as a joke.
- Mom (52)Who said it first?
- Daughter (23)A beauty YouTuber called LeoJ. According to The PR, in a December 2021 vlog skit he asked a show-off friend “혹시 너 뭐 돼?” and it spread.
- Mom (52)Did he know it would take off?
- Daughter (23)No. He told Hankook Ilbo in 2022 he never expected it; his life felt like a sitcom, so he filmed it to keep a record.
- Mom (52)What does that 혹시, “by any chance,” add?
- Daughter (23)That's the whole point. It's phrased like a polite question but it's a jab, which is why it's funny. Later it turned up on MBC radio and on the talk show Radio Star.
- Mom (52)So can I use it?
- Daughter (23)Only with people you're close to. With strangers it's just picking a fight.
- Mom (52)Got it. Now, who's doing the dishes tonight?
- Daughter (23)…Mom, are you, by any chance, somebody? Oh right, you're Mom. I'll do them.
너뭐돼
The run-together form of “너 (혹시) 뭐 돼?” (“Are you… somebody?”). A playful jab at someone who's showing off or acting superior without much to back it up.
In Korean: '너 (혹시) 뭐 돼?'를 붙여 쓴 말. 별것 아니면서 잘난 척하거나 으스대는 사람에게 '네가 뭐라도 되냐'며 장난스럽게 핀잔을 주는 표현이다.
- 시험 한 번 잘 봤다고 훈수 두는 거야? 너뭐돼?One good test score and you're giving advice? 너뭐돼?Answering a friend's bragging in the group chat
- 혹시… 너 뭐 돼? 왜 줄을 안 서?Are you… somebody? Why aren't you in line?A friend jokingly cuts the line
- 회사에서 너뭐돼 소리 들을까 봐 자랑을 못 하겠어I can't brag at work in case someone hits me with 너뭐돼.Someone keeping a promotion quiet
- 고양이가 식탁 위에서 내려다보는데 표정이 딱 너뭐돼야The cat's looking down at me from the table with a total 너뭐돼 face.Caption on a pet photo
Why did 너뭐돼 catch on?
It's short, it has a built-in intonation, and everyone knows at least one person who deserves it. The twist of opening politely with 혹시 and landing on a jab lets you stop someone without getting angry. Like 팩폭 (paekpok, “fact attack”) it punctures a show-off, only far more lightly, and if the target fires back with 킹받네 (kingbatne, “so annoying”), the exchange is complete. It also works even if you've never seen the original clip, which probably helps it last.
너뭐돼 (neomwodwae): frequently asked questions
Q. What does 너뭐돼 mean?
It's “너 (혹시) 뭐 돼?”, roughly “What, are you somebody?” People say it jokingly to someone showing off or acting superior.
Q. Where does 너뭐돼 come from?
In December 2021, beauty YouTuber LeoJ asked a show-off friend “혹시 너 뭐 돼?” in a staged vlog skit, and the line spread as a meme.
Q. What's 너뭐돼 in English?
No exact match, but “Who do you think you are?” or “What are you, somebody?” come close.
Q. Where can I see 너뭐돼 memes?
Screenshots of the original vlog circulate widely. We don't reproduce them for copyright reasons; the broadcast clips above show the line instead.
Q. Is 너뭐돼 rude?
Between close friends it's a joke. Said to strangers or to someone senior, it comes across as rude.
So: 너뭐돼 is how you tell off a show-off politely, 혹시 and all. The daughter did the dishes in the end. If you have a sharper definition, add it to the 너뭐돼 entry in the dictionary.
Sources
See ‘너뭐돼’ in the dictionary — more definitions, examples, and your own take.
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