The question word ‘무엇’ can be contracted '뭐‘ which means ‘what'. '뭐’  

is much used in colloquial speech whereas '무엇‘ is used in written speech

. Therefore, both 'N(전공)이 뭐예요?' and '전공이 무엇이에요?’ can be used to

 ask about someone's major.

What is your major? (전공이 뭐예요)

조앤: 몇 학년이에요? [멷항년]

메이: 일학년이에요. [일항년] or [이락년] (casual)

조앤: 그래요? 저도 일학년이에요. 언제 한국에 왔어요?

메이: 이년 전에 왔어요.

조앤: 그래요? 전 작년에 왔어요(장년에 와써요).

메이: 전공이 뭐예요?

조앤: 경영학이에요.

조앤: What year are you in school?

메이: I am a freshman.

조앤: Is that so? I am also a freshman. When did you come to Korea?

메이: 2 years ago. And you?

조앤: I came here last year.

메이: What is your major?

조앤: I am majoring in Business Administration.

Key words and expressions

- 학년: school year (일학년, 이학년:

sophomore, 삼학년: junior, 사학년: senior)

- A temporal noun + 전에: before, prior to (예: 한 시간 전에 an hour ago)

- 작년(last year), 올해(this year), 내년(next year)

- N을/를 전공하다: to specialize N(name of the major)

- 경영학: business administration

Grammar Tip

- 몇 is a question word for quantity, and almost always is followed by a   

counter as in 몇 학년(살 age, 번 phone number, 호 room number)이에요(예

요)? However, 몇 일 which is used to ask a date is spelled 며칠 NOT 몇 일.