what's up with you
/ˈwʌtsˈʌpwɪˈtʃu/
RP: /ˈwɒtsˈʌpwɪˈtʃu/
Meaning: what's up with you?
with+you→/tʃ/; what's-up link
Mistake: Pronouncing "with you" as two clearly separate words: "WISU YU" with a full th and a full y.
Why: Katakana English typically substitutes [s] or [z] for the English th sounds and keeps each syllable distinct, blocking the t+y fusion.
Fix: The th of "with" merges with the y of "you" into [tʃ]: [wɪˈtʃu]. Combined with the linked "what's up", the full phrase becomes [ˈwʌtsˈʌpwɪˈtʃu].
Mistake: Adding a small vowel after "what's" and pausing before "up", breaking the phrase into three separate chunks.
Why: Korean phonotactics restrict which consonants can end a syllable, so learners often insert a vowel-like release after English word-final consonant clusters.
Fix: "What's up" links tightly with no added vowel: [ˈwʌtsˈʌp]. Then "with you" fuses to [wɪˈtʃu] right after, forming one continuous four-syllable unit.
Mistake: Replacing the fused [tʃ] with a plain [t] followed by a separate [j] sound, producing "wit-you" instead of "wi-chu".
Why: Mandarin doesn't merge word-final th/t with a following y the way English does across casual speech, so learners keep the sounds distinct by default.
Fix: Aim for the same consonant as the "ch" in "chair": the tongue and th sounds coalesce into that single affricate, [wɪˈtʃu], rather than two separate consonants.
"What's up with you?" is a casual, often concerned or curious check-in, distinct from the more neutral "what's up?" by adding "with you", which narrows the focus specifically onto the listener's situation, mood, or recent behavior. It's frequently used when something seems off — a change in tone, mood, or behavior — making it slightly more pointed than a generic greeting. Phonetically, it packs together two of English's most common reduction patterns: the linking of "what's up" and the t+y coalescence of "with you" into [wɪˈtʃu], the same affricate heard in "gotcha" and "won't you". Learners who recognize [tʃu] as a recurring unit across dozens of everyday phrases gain a transferable skill rather than a one-off memorized sound, since this exact fusion appears constantly in casual American speech.