The Korean grammar pattern ‘-냐고 하다’ and its spoken form ‘-냬요’ are used to quote yes/no questions and wh-questions in reported speech. Understanding how to use these forms correctly is essential for expressing what someone asked in both formal and everyday Korean. This post explains their structure, meaning, and common usage with clear examples.
Contents
1. Definition
‘-냐고 하다’ is used to report someone else’s question, functioning like “ask if…” or “ask whether…” in English for yes/no questions and “ask what/why/where/etc.” for wh-questions.
It is a key part of Korean indirect speech (also known as reported speech), especially for quoting questions.
2. Form (Structure)
‘-냐고 하다’ is used to quote questions. The pattern changes slightly depending on tense and type (verbs, adjectives, or nouns). Below is how to form it:
Structure Summary
| Sentence Type | Stem Type | Pattern | Example |
| Present | Verb/Adjective | -냐고 하다 | 가냐고 했어요 (They asked if [I] am going.) |
| Past | Verb/Adjective | -았/었(느)냐고 하다 | 갔냐고 했어요 (They asked if [I] went.) |
| Future | Verb | -겠느냐고 하다 | 가겠느냐고 했어요 (They asked if [I] would go.) |
| Noun + 이다 | Noun | -(이)냐고 하다 | 학생이냐고 했어요 (They asked if [I] am a student.) |
| Spoken Form | – | -냬요 | 가냬요 (They’re asking if [you] are going.) |
Quoting Questions, Commands, Requests, and Suggestions in Korean
Korean reported speech includes various patterns to quote questions, commands, requests, and suggestions, each with its own grammatical structure and spoken abbreviation. Understanding these forms will help you express what others say or ask more naturally and accurately in Korean conversation.
| 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
This pattern is used to quote questions that someone asked. There are two main types: yes/no questions and wh-questions.
1. Yes/No Questions (asking if/whether)
- 오늘 비가 오냐고 했어요 / 오냬요.
(They asked if it was raining today.) - 점심 먹었냐고 물어봤어요 / 먹었냬요.
(They asked if I had eaten lunch.) - 이거 네 거냐고 하던데요 / 네 거냬요.
(I heard they asked if this is yours.) - 내일 시간 있냐고 물어봤어요 / 있냬요.
(They asked whether I’m free tomorrow.) - 그 사람이 선생님이냐고 했어요 / 선생님이냬요.
(They asked if that person is a teacher.)
2. Wh-Questions (asking who/what/where/etc.)
- 어디 가냐고 물어봤어요 / 가냬요.
(They asked where I am going.) - 누구랑 갔냐고 했어요 / 갔냬요.
(They asked who I went with.) - 왜 안 왔냐고 하더라고요 / 왔냬요.
(They asked why I didn’t come.) - 뭘 샀냐고 궁금해했어요 / 샀냬요.
(They were curious about what I bought.) - 언제 출발하냐고 하셨어요 / 출발하냬요.
(They asked when we’re leaving.)
4. Key Points to Remember
- Use ‘-냐고 하다’ for quoting questions, not statements.
- For verbs in formal or written Korean, use ‘느냐고 하다’. For spoken Korean, use ‘냐고 하다’.
- For nouns, use ‘(이)냐고 하다’ depending on the noun ending.
- Conjugate the main verb/adjective based on tense before adding ‘-냐고 하다’.
- ‘-냬요’ is the contracted form, used in casual and spoken Korean.
5. Practice Exercises
Choose the correct form of ‘-냐고 하다’ to complete the sentences.
- 친구가 내일 뭐 ___ 물어봤어요.
(My friend asked what I am going to do tomorrow.) - 엄마가 밥 ___ 물어보셨어요.
(Mom asked if I had eaten.) - 동생이 어디 ___ 물어봤어요.
(My younger sibling asked where I was going.) - 그 사람이 선생님___ 물어봤어요.
(They asked if that person is a teacher.) - 친구가 왜 ___ 물어봤어요.
(My friend asked why I was late.) - 아버지가 시험 잘 ___ 물어보셨어요.
(My dad asked if I did well on the exam.) - 누가 이거 ___ 물어봤어요.
(They asked who did this.) - 선생님이 왜 안 ___ 물어보셨어요.
(The teacher asked why I didn’t come.) - 경찰이 어제 어디 ___ 물어봤어요.
(The police asked where I was yesterday.) - 친구가 이번 주말에 시간 ___ 물어봤어요.
(My friend asked if I have time this weekend.)
6. Answers
- 하냐고
- 먹었냐고
- 가냐고
- 이냐고
- 늦었냐고
- 봤냐고
- 했냐고
- 왔냐고
- 있었냐고
- 있냐고
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
⚠️ Mistake 1: Using ‘-다고 하다’ instead of ‘-냐고 하다’ for questions
Incorrect: 친구가 내일 뭐 한다고 물어봤어요. ❌
Correct: 친구가 내일 뭐 하냐고 물어봤어요. ✅
💡 Tip: ‘-다고 하다’ is used for statements. Use ‘-냐고 하다’ when quoting questions.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Forgetting to change the verb or adjective to the correct tense or form
Incorrect: 아버지가 시험 잘 본냐고 물어보셨어요. ❌
Correct: 아버지가 시험 잘 봤냐고 물어보셨어요. ✅
Incorrect: 엄마가 방이 깨끗한냐고 물어봤어요. ❌
Correct: 엄마가 방이 깨끗냐고 물어봤어요. ✅
💡 Tip: Always conjugate verbs and adjectives into the correct tense or form before adding ‘-냐고 하다’.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Using the wrong form for nouns
Incorrect: 그 사람이 학생냐고 물어봤어요. ❌
Correct: 그 사람이 학생이냐고 물어봤어요. ✅
Incorrect: 그 사람이 의사이냐고 물어봤어요. ❌
Correct: 그 사람이 의사냐고 물어봤어요. ✅
💡 Tip: When quoting questions with nouns, use ‘이냐고 하다’ after nouns ending in consonants (학생이냐고 하다) and ‘냐고 하다’ after nouns ending in vowels (의사냐고 하다).
‘-냐고 하다’ is an essential intermediate-level grammar point used to quote yes/no and wh-questions in Korean. Mastering this pattern will help learners express reported questions clearly and naturally, both in conversation and writing. It is particularly useful for formal communication and storytelling.