If you’re learning Korean and want to report what someone said or thought, you’ll need to understand how to use the grammar pattern ‘-다고 / -라고 하다’. This essential indirect quotation structure allows you to express reported speech naturally and accurately in Korean. In this post, we’ll explain how it works, when to use it, and how to form it correctly with verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
Contents
1. Definition
‘-다고 하다’ and ‘-라고 하다’ are used to report or quote someone’s statement or thought.
They are equivalent to “someone says that…” or “someone said that…” in English.
2. Form (Structure)
When using indirect speech in Korean, the structure changes depending on whether you’re quoting a verb, adjective, or noun.
- For verbs, add -다고 하다 to the verb stem.
This form is used to report what someone did or does. - For adjectives, also add -다고 하다 to the adjective stem.
This is used to report how something is or was described. - For nouns, use -라고 하다 after vowel-ending nouns, and -이라고 하다 after consonant-ending nouns.
This structure is used to report someone’s identity, job, or role.
In spoken Korean, these full forms are often shortened to -대요 (from -다고 해요) and -(이)래요 (from -(이)라고 해요). These abbreviated forms are common in casual and polite conversation and should be learned together with the full forms.
Below is a summary table showing the structure, rules, and examples based on word type.
| Word Type | Structure | Abbreviated (Spoken) Form | Example |
| Verb | verb stem + -다고 하다 | -대요 | 가다 → 간다고 하다 (to say [someone] goes) |
| Adjective | adjective stem + -다고 하다 | -대요 | 예쁘다 → 예쁘다고 하다 (to say [someone] is pretty) |
| Noun + 이다 | noun + (이)라고 하다 | -(이)래요 | 학생 → 학생이라고 하다 (to say [someone] is a student) 의사 → 의사라고 하다 (to say [someone] is a doctor) |
Quoting Questions, Commands, Requests, and Suggestions in Korean
In addition to quoting statements with ‘-다고 / -라고 하다’, Korean uses different forms to report questions, commands, requests, and suggestions. Each type has its own structure and spoken (abbreviated) form. Mastering these patterns will help you report all kinds of speech naturally.
| Type | Full Form | Abbreviated (Spoken) Form | Used With |
| Statement | -다고 하다 / -라고 하다 | -대요 / -(이)래요 | Verbs, Adjectives, Nouns |
| Yes/No Question | -냐고 하다 | -냬요 | Verbs, Adjectives |
| Wh- Question | -느냐고 하다 / -냐고 하다 | -냬요 | Verbs, Adjectives |
| Command (imperative) | -라고 하다 (plain command) | -래요 | Verbs (imperative) |
| Propositive (suggestion) | -자고 하다 | -재요 | Verbs (propositive) |
| Request (polite) | -아/어 달라고 하다 | -달래요 | Verbs (with -아/어 주다) |
3. Meaning & Usage
1. Quoting verbs in declarative sentences
‘-다고 하다’ is used to report or quote what someone said using verbs.
Shortened forms: ‘-대요’ (present), ‘-댔어요’ (past)
Examples:
- 민수가 오늘 온다고 했어요. / 민수가 오늘 온댔어요.
(Minsu said that he’s coming today.) - 지영 씨가 공부한다고 했어요. / 지영 씨가 공부한대요.
(Jiyeong said she’s studying.) - 선생님께서 숙제를 내일 낸다고 하셨어요. / 선생님이 숙제를 내일 낸댔어요.
(The teacher said that the homework will be given tomorrow.) - 친구가 시험을 본다고 했어요. / 친구가 시험 본댔어요.
(My friend said that they are taking a test.) - 동생이 밥을 먹는다고 했어요. / 동생이 밥 먹는대요.
(My younger sibling said that he is eating.)
2. Quoting adjectives
‘-다고 하다’ is used to report or quote what someone said using adjectives.
Shortened forms: ‘-대요’ (present), ‘-댔어요’ (past)
Examples:
- 이 영화가 재미있다고 해요. / 이 영화가 재미있대요.
(They say this movie is interesting.) - 날씨가 춥다고 했어요. / 날씨가 춥댔어요.
(They said the weather is cold.) - 음식이 맵다고 해요. / 음식이 맵대요.
(They say the food is spicy.) - 그 사람이 착하다고 들었어요. / 그 사람이 착하댔어요.
(I heard that person is kind.) - 시험이 어렵다고 해요. / 시험이 어렵대요.
(They say the test is hard.)
3. Quoting nouns + 이다
‘-라고 하다’ is used to report or quote what someone said using nouns.
Shortened forms: ‘-래요’ (present), ‘-랬어요’ (past)
Examples:
- 그 사람이 의사라고 해요. / 그 사람이 의사래요.
(They say he is a doctor.) - 저는 학생이라고 했어요. / 저는 학생이랬어요.
(I said I am a student.) - 여기가 맛집이라고 해요. / 여기가 맛집이래요.
(I hear this place is a famous restaurant.) - 그분이 선생님이라고 했어요. / 그분이 선생님이랬어요.
(They said that person is a teacher.) - 이게 선물이라고 해요. / 이게 선물이래요.
(They say this is a gift.)
4. Key Points to Remember
- Use ‘-다고 하다’ after verbs and adjectives.
- Use ‘-라고 하다’ after nouns.
- The tense appears in the quoted part, and ‘하다’ can change according to politeness or tense:
- Present: 간다고 해요
- Past: 갔다고 했어요
- Honorific: 간다고 하셨어요
- In spoken Korean, shortened forms are common:
- ‘-다고 해요’ → ‘-대요’
- ‘-라고 해요’ → ‘-래요’
- Often used with 듣다 (to hear), 말하다 (to say), 하다 (to say/do).
- For quoting commands, use ‘-라고 하다’ after verb stems.
- For quoting suggestions, use ‘-자고 하다’ after verb stems.
5. Practice Exercises
Choose the correct quotation form to complete each sentence.
(Write the full expression, such as ‘온다고 했어요’, ‘이라고 했어요’, etc.)
- 친구가 내일 __________.
(My friend said they will come tomorrow.) - 그 사람이 선생님 __________.
(They said that person is a teacher.) - 엄마가 오늘 비 __________.
(Mom said it will rain today.) - 동생이 이거 __________.
(My younger sibling said this is delicious.) - 민수가 __________.
(Minsu said he is tired.) - 아버지가 요즘 __________.
(Dad said he’s busy these days.) - 친구가 지금 도서관에 __________.
(My friend said they are going to the library now.) - 이 음식이 __________.
(They said this food is spicy.) - 선생님이 저는 모범생 __________.
(The teacher said I am a model student.) - 제니가 한국어가 __________.
(Jenny said Korean is difficult.)
6. Answers
- 온다고 했어요
- 이라고 했어요
- 온다고 했어요
- 맛있다고 했어요
- 피곤하다고 했어요
- 바쁘다고 했어요
- 간다고 했어요
- 맵다고 했어요
- 이라고 했어요
- 어렵다고 했어요
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
⚠️ Mistake 1: Using ‘-라고 하다’ after verbs or adjectives
Incorrect: 그는 간라고 했어요. ❌
Correct: 그는 간다고 했어요. ✅
💡 Tip: Use ‘-다고 하다’ after verbs and adjectives, not ‘-라고 하다’.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Forgetting tense changes in reported speech
Incorrect: 어제 간다고 해요. ❌
Correct: 어제 갔다고 해요. ✅
💡 Tip: Match the reported tense with the original context. Use past tense if the original statement was in the past.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Omitting the subject when it causes confusion
Incorrect: 예쁘다고 했어요. ❌
Correct: 지수가 예쁘다고 했어요. ✅
💡 Tip: If it’s unclear who said or who is being described, add the subject for clarity.
The patterns ‘-다고 하다’ and ‘-라고 하다’ are essential for quoting others in Korean. They are used frequently in everyday conversation and writing. By understanding their correct usage, learners can report what others say more naturally and accurately. Practice with real-life examples will make this grammar point more intuitive over time.