Korean grammar · Intermediate (B1)
Reporting speech: -다고, -냐고, -자고, -(으)라고
How to report what people said, asked, suggested and told others to do, the spoken short forms -대요 and -래요, and reporting verbs.
The plain forms behind reported speech
Korean reports speech by putting the original sentence into the plain style, (handache), and adding -고 + a verb such as (hada), to say. The ending shows what kind of sentence it was: a statement, a question, a suggestion or a command. The tense of the original stays inside; the reporting verb has its own tense.
The same plain forms are used before (saenggakhada), to think: (jotago saenggakhaeyo), I think it's good.
| Sentence type | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| statement, action verb | -ㄴ/는다고 | (gandago), (meongneundago) |
| statement, descriptive verb, | -다고 | (jotago), (itdago) |
| statement, noun | -(이)라고 | (haksaengirago), (uisarago) |
| statement, past | -았/었다고 | (gatdago), (joatdago) |
| statement, future | -(으)ㄹ 거라고 | (gal georago) |
| question | -냐고 | (ganyago), (meogeonnyago) |
| suggestion | -자고 | (gajago), (meokjago) |
| command | -(으)라고 | (garago), (meogeurago) |
Statements and questions
Statements: (Minji ssiga naeil bappeudago haesseoyo), Minji said she's busy tomorrow. For a negative noun sentence, use (anirago): (jagi jalmosi anirago haesseoyo), she said it wasn't her fault. People change as they do in English: (jeo), I, in the original becomes (jagi), oneself, or the person's name.
Questions use -냐고 and often the verb (mutda) or (mureoboda), to ask: (eodi sanyago mureobwasseoyo), he asked where I live. In writing you will also see the older forms -느냐고 and -(으)냐고. -다고 들었어요 means “I heard that”: (daeum dare muneul yeondago deureosseoyo), I heard they're opening next month.
- 뉴스에서 내일 비가 온다고 했어요.Nyuseueseo naeil biga ondago haesseoyo.The news said it will rain tomorrow.
- 서준 씨가 회의가 몇 시냐고 물어봤어요.Seojun ssiga hoeuiga myeot sinyago mureobwasseoyo.Seojun asked what time the meeting is.
- 엄마가 벌써 밥을 먹었다고 하셨어요.Eommaga beolsseo babeul meogeotdago hasyeosseoyo.Mum said she had already eaten.
Suggestions and commands; 달라고 vs 주라고
Suggestions use -자고: (chinguga gachi gajago haesseoyo), my friend suggested going together. Commands and requests use -(으)라고: (uisa seonsaengnimi puk swirago hasyeosseoyo), the doctor told me to get plenty of rest. For “not to”, use -지 말라고: (geokjeonghaji mallago haesseoyo), she told me not to worry.
(to give) has two forms. When the speaker asks for something for themselves, it becomes (dallago): (mureul dallago haesseoyo), he asked for some water; (dowa dallago haesseoyo), she asked me to help her. When it's for someone else, it stays (jurago): (dongsaengege jurago haesseoyo), he told me to give it to my brother.
- 팀장님이 보고서를 금요일까지 내라고 하셨어요.Timjangnimi bogoseoreul geumyoilkkaji naerago hasyeosseoyo.The team leader told us to hand in the report by Friday.
- 손님이 영수증을 달라고 하셨어요.Sonnimi yeongsujeungeul dallago hasyeosseoyo.The customer asked for a receipt.
Short spoken forms: -대요, -래요
In conversation, -다고 해요 and its partners are usually contracted. These short forms are everywhere in spoken Korean, and they also work in casual speech without 요: (gandae), (gajae).
Don't confuse -대요 (someone says) with -데요, which reports something you saw or experienced (short for -더라고요). (mworaeyo?) means “what did they say?”
| Full form | Short form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (gandago haeyo) | (gandaeyo) | he says he's going |
| (jotago haeyo) | (jotaeyo) | they say it's good |
| (haksaengirago haeyo) | (haksaengiraeyo) | she says she's a student |
| (garago haeyo) | (garaeyo) | he says to go |
| (gajago haeyo) | (gajaeyo) | she suggests going |
| (ganyago haeyo) | (ganyaeyo) | he asks if you're going |
- 그 식당 진짜 맛있대요.Geu sikdang jinjja masitdaeyo.They say that restaurant is really good.
- 지훈 씨가 조금 늦는대요.Jihun ssiga jogeum neunneundaeyo.Jihun says he'll be a little late.
- 선생님이 내일 일찍 오래요.Seonsaengnimi naeil iljjik oraeyo.The teacher says to come early tomorrow.
Reporting verbs
Instead of , news and formal speech use more precise verbs: (malhada), to say; (mutda), to ask; (jeonhada), to pass on; (balpyohada), to announce; (balkida), to state, make clear; (jujanghada), to claim; (gangjohada), to stress; (buinhada), to deny.
In news the reporting verb is usually in the formal past: (sijangi beoseureul neulligetdago balkyeotseumnida), the mayor stated that the city will add more buses.
- 정부는 사실이 아니라고 부인했습니다.Jeongbuneun sasiri anirago buinhaetseumnida.The government denied that it was true.
- 시장은 안전이 가장 중요하다고 강조했습니다.Sijangeun anjeoni gajang jungyohadago gangjohaetseumnida.The mayor stressed that safety is the most important thing.