reported speech korean grammar

Reported Speech In Korean (고 했다 / 래요 and 대요)

Reported speech in Korean follows a very simple formula.

Read on where I'll explain the grammar and provide you with some examples.

The suffix 고 했다 is used in the following ways to report speech:

(They) said it's A: 다 (dictionary form)

"이 영화가 무서워요."

(They) said it's N: (이)라

"저는 소방수예요."

(They) said it's V-ing: ㄴ/는다

"오! 비가 와요!"

"저는 신문을 읽고 있어요."

(They) said it V-ed: 했다

"어제 시험을 봤어요."

(They) said it will V: 을 거라

"내일 기온이 내려갈 거에요."

(They) asked... V: (느)냐

"터키식당 어디에 있어요?"

(They) asked... A: (으)냐

"제주도의 날씨가 따뜻해요?"

(They) said please V: (으)라

"조심하세요!"

(They) said please give me N/asked for N: 달라

"20만원 빌려 주세요."

Let's V: 자

"영화관에 가자!"

Here are the contracted forms for indirectly reported speech using 래요 and 대요 :

(They) said it's A:  대요

"마루가 미끄러워요."

친구가 마루가 미끄럽다고 했어요.

(They) said it's N: (이)래요

"막걸리예요."

친구가 막걸리라고 했어요.

(They) said it's V-ing: 은/ㄴ대요

"지금은 논이 와요."

지금은 논이 온다고 했어요.

(They) said it V-ed: 했대요

"주말 내내 바람이 불었어요."

주말 내내 바람이 불었다고 했어요.

(They) said it will V: 을 거래요

"내일은 수영장 할 거에요."

그가 내일은 수영장 할 거라고 했어요.

(They) asked: 냬요

"Pepsi과 Coke의 구별 할 수 있어요?"

Pepsi과 Coke의 구별 할 수 있냐고 했어요.

어머니가 터키식당 어디에 있냐고 했어요:

(They) said please V: (으)래요

"조심 하세요!"

선생님이 제게 조심 하라고 했어요:

(They) said please give me N: 달래요

친구가 20만원 달라고 했어요:

They said/suggested "Let's V": 재요

친구가 영화관에 가 자 고 했어요:

Quoting verbs

When quoting speech or thoughts, different verbs can be used in place of 했다 :

Also, the suffix 보다 can replace** 생각하다** to indicate a person's opinion on a situation or problem. 보다 is a firmer and more confident assertion/evaluation than 생각하다 :

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Indirect Speech in Korean Grammar

Introduction to Indirect Speech in Korean Grammar

Indirect Speech plays a pivotal role in everyday communication, as it allows speakers to report and discuss statements made by others. Korean grammar, though unique in its structure, also utilizes indirect speech to create cohesive and dynamic conversations. In this article, we will explore the intricacies of indirect speech in Korean grammar , examine their practical applications, and provide essential tips on mastering this fundamental aspect of the Korean language.

Types of Indirect Speech in Korean Language

As you dive into the world of indirect speech in Korean, you will discover two main types: Indirect Quotation and Indirect Reporting . To ensure a comprehensive understanding of both, let us separate these types and examine their distinctions.

Indirect Quotation

Indirect Quotation entails rephrasing a statement made by someone else without altering the original meaning. This requires the utilization of various grammatical structures and verb endings, which we will discuss further in subsequent sections.

Indirect Reporting

In Indirect Reporting, the speaker delivers information based on hearsay or indirectly acquired knowledge without quoting the original source. This type of indirect speech often contains descriptive verbs, as well as a comprehensive range of sentence-ending forms, and tense modifications.

Vital Grammatical Patterns of Indirect Quotation

It is crucial to recognize several key grammatical patterns that facilitate indirect quotation in the Korean language. These patterns include:

1. Verb + (ㄴ/은)다고 하다/말하다

When using the (ㄴ/은)다고 하다/말하다 structure, the speaker repeats a quotation in the past tense by utilizing an adjective or action verb. Conjugate action verbs by joining the verb stem with ㄴ다고 하다/말하다 , while descriptive verbs require 은다고 하다/말하다 .

2. Verb + (아/어)라고 하다/말하다

The (아/어)라고 하다/말하다 pattern is employed when listeners quote an imperative or a proposition. The present tense dictates that the verb stem incorporates either 아라고 하다/말하다 or 어라고 하다/말하다 , depending on the verb’s construction.

3. Verb + (으)라고 하다/말하다

In cases where a previously mentioned action verb ends with a vowel, the (으)라고 하다/말하다 structure is implemented.

Implementing Indirect Reporting in Korean Language

Indirect Reporting in Korean language often employs a combination of descriptive verbs and sentence-ending forms. A few examples include:

1. Verb + (ㄴ/는/을) 것 같다

To express information based on an assumption or inference, apply the (ㄴ/는/을) 것 같다 form in accordance with the verb tense.

2. Verb + (아/어) 보이다

Use the (아/어) 보이다 pattern when mentioning an observation or a visible change. The final verb must adhere to either the 아 보이다 or 어 보이다 format in the present tense.

3. Verb + 듯하다

This form allows speakers to convey an impression or appearance, with the verb stem uniting with 듯하다 to create the desired effect.

In conclusion, understanding indirect speech in Korean grammar is essential for achieving fluency in the language. By studying and implementing vital grammatical patterns and constructions, you can confidently navigate various communication scenarios and master the art of natural, rich conversation in the Korean language.

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라고/라는/다고/다는/자고/냐고 하다 [ Korean Grammar ]

Learning grammar is one of the most difficult things for Korean language learners. On this blog we will try to help you learn Korean grammar in the quickest and easiest way possible. This blog will be helpful for those who are studying Korean language and want to improve their grammar skills.

Today we’ll see how to form sentences with grammar pattern “라고/라는/다고/다는/자고/냐고 하다 " in Indirect speech with some example sentences. 

1. Noun + (이)라고 하다

Is used after the noun followed by the verb. It is used to refer to something being said in a way by someone or somewhere. 

For example :

• 뭐라고 했어요? – What did you say?
• 그 사람이 유명한 분이라고 들었어요. – I heard that this person is famous.
• 저 친구 이름은 여빈이래요. That friend's name is Yeobin.

N + (이)래요 is the short form.

2. Noun + (이)라는 + Noun

Is used when you want to refer to one noun being like the other noun. This is equivalent to saying, a 'Noun' who is 'Noun'.

Noun + (이)란 + Noun is the short form.

• 방탄소년단이라는 가수들의 누래 요즘에 미국에서도 유명해요. - The songs of singers called BTS are famous in America these days.
• 그 선생님이란 분 저의 아버지예요. – That person who is the teacher, is my father. 

3. Verb + (ㄴ/는)다고 하다

You use Verb + (ㄴ/는)다고 하다 when you know about something happening indirectly. Used in declarative sentences. 

• 그 사람이 내일 돈 가져온다고 말했어요. - He said he would bring the money tomorrow. 
• 이 영화는 재미있다고 들었어요. – I heard this movie is fun. 

Verb + (ㄴ/는)대요 is the short form. 

4. Verb + 다는 + Noun

You use Verb + 다는 + Noun when you want to reference a noun which has an indirect verb as an adjective modifying it. This is equivalent to saying, a Noun is / who is doing Verb.

• 한국에 간다는 사람 - A person who is going to Korea.
• 나는 지금 연락 받았어서 그녀가 인도에 도착했다는 것 알아요. - I just got the call so I know she has arrived in India. 

Verb + 단 + Noun is the short form.

5. Verb + (으)라고 하다

You use Verb + (으)라고 하다 when you are quoting an imperative statement.

• 집에 빨리 가라고 했어요. He told him to go home immediately.
• 그 사람한테 하지말라고 했어요! – I told him to stop doing it!
• 그럴 수도 있지. 울지 말라고 했어. - Things like that happen, too.  She told me not to cry.

Verb + 래요 is the short form.

500 Most Common Korean Verbs

500 Most Basic Korean Adjectives

6. Verb + 자고 하다

You use Verb + 자고 하다 when you are quoting an suggestive statement.

• 친구랑 집앞에서 만나자고 말했어요 – I told to meet my friend in front of the house.
• 2년 만에 만났기 때문에  같이 밥 먹자고 했어 - We met after two years, so I asked to have dinner together. 

7. Verb + 냐고 하다

You use Verb + 냐고 하다 when you are quoting an interrogative question.

• 그 놈은 잘 지내냐고 말했어요 – That guy asked me how I was doing.
• 어떻게 했냐고 말해 - Tell me what you did. 

Verb + 냬요 is the short form.

Related Korean grammar posts :

Verb+(으)려고 하다

V/A + 아/어/해야 하다 and 되다

Verb + (으)ㄹ수있다/없다

Learning Korean can be tricky, especially when the goal of your learning is conversation. If you’ve ever attempted to speak Korean but were unable to, then hopefully you’ll find this post helpful.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or suggestions. Comment down below. 

Smriti Ekka graduated in Commerce and Library science, and currently she is working as a content writer at TOPIK Guide website. She is a Korean language and culture enthusiast and has been working across multiple disciplines which broadly addresses narratives of similarities between Korean and Indian culture. Apart from being a content writer at TOPIK Guide she manages Annyeong India website and has had her pieces published in Learn Korean in India website as well. In her other life, she is a singer, rising entrepreneur, life enthusiast and a learner.

The first example for #1, 집에 빨리 가라고 했어요… shouldn’t that be in section #5, since it’s quoting an imperative statement?

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Korean Grammar: Shorten forms of Reported Speech

1. … ㄴ / 는대 요 is the shorten form of … ㄴ / 는다고 ( 말 ) 했어요.

       " SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that…”

• … is the infinitive stem of a verb that was happening at the moment when I heard it

1) DS: 그는 말했어요.   +  “ 그들을 좋아해요 .”

    RS: 그는 그들을 좋아 한대요 .

            He said that he likes them.

2. … 대요 is the shorten form of … 다고 ( 말 ) 했어요

          “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that…”

• …is the infinitive stem of an adjective tht was the status or situation at the moment when I heard it

1) DS: 누군가 말했어요.   +  “한국에서 여행 비자로 일할 수 없어요.”

    RS: 한국에서 여행 비자로 일할 수 없 대요 .

            Someone said that you can’t work in Korean with a travel visa.

2) DS: 의사 선생님이 말했어요.  +  “10 시간 이상 자면 건강에 안 좋아요.”

    RS: 의사 선생님이 10시간 이상 자면 건강에 안 좋 대요 .

            My doctor said that if you sleep more than 10 hours, it is not good for health. 

3. ~ ㅆ대요 is the shorten form of  ~ ㅆ다고 ( 말 ) 했어요

       “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that…”

• the conjugated stem of a verb or adjective : [ ~ ] had already happened  at the moment when I heard it

1) DS: 그녀는 말했어요.   +  “졸업했어요.”

    RS: 그녀는 졸업했 대요 .

            She said that she graduated.

4. … ㄹ 거래요 is the shorten form of … ㄹ거라고 ( 말 ) 했어요

         “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that…”

• the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective :  […] will happen later than the moment when I heard it

1) DS: 그들은 말했어요.   +  “내년에 대한민국에 갈 거예요.”

    RS: 그들은 내년에 대한민국에 갈 거래요 .

             They said that they will go to Korea next year.

5. Noun ( 이 ) 래요 is the shorten form of Noun( 이 ) 라고 ( 말 ) 했어요

     "SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that it Is Noun”

• If the Noun ends with a consonant 이래요
• If the Noun ends with a vowel 래요

    DS: 그들은 말했어요 .  +  “저희는 군인입니다.”

    RS: 그들은 군인 이래요 .

           They said that they are soldiers.

6. Noun 이었대요   is the shorten form of Noun 이었다고 ( 말 ) 했어요

      "SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY said that it was Noun”

• Noun ends with a consonant
• 이었대요 can be shortend to 였대요

    DS: 성민 씨는 말했어요 .  +  “저는 의사였어요.”

    RS: 성민 씨는 의 였대요 .

           Mr. SungMin said that he was a doctor.

7a. … 재요 is the shorten form of  … 자고 ( 말 ) 했어요

        “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY told me to…” (suggestion)

    DS: 친구가 말했어요 .  +  “오늘 점심을 같이 먹자!”

    RS: 친구가 오늘 점심을 같이 먹 재요 .

            My friend told me to eat lunch together.

7b. … 지 말재요 is the shorten form of  … 지 말자고 ( 말 ) 했어요

“SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY told me not to…” (suggestion)

    DS: 동료가 말했어요 +  “비가 오니까 소풍가지 맙시다!”

    RS: 동료가 비가 오니까 소풍가 지 말재요 .

            My colleague told me not to go on a picnic since it is raining.

8a. … 래요 is the shorten form of  … 라고 ( 말 ) 했어요

       ”SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY told me to…” (imperative)

    DS: 그녀가 말했어요 .  +  “방을 청소해!”

    RS: 그녀가 방을 청소하 래요 .

           She told me to clean my room.

8b. … 지 말래요 is the shorten form of  … 지 말라고 ( 말 ) 했어요

        “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY told me not to…” (imperative)

    DS: 직원이 말했어요 .  +  “엘레베이터가 고장났으니까 타지 마세요!”

    RS: 직원이 엘레베이터가 고장났으니까 타 지 말래요 .

            A staff told me not to take an elevator because it is broken.

9. ~ 달래요 is the shorten form of  ~ 달라고 ( 말 ) 했어요

       “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY asked /requested me to~”

    DS: 친구가 말했어요 .  +  “백화점까지 태워 줘!”

    RS: 친구가 백화점까지 태워 달래요.

            My friend asked me to give him/her a lift to the department store.

10. … 냬요 is the shorten form of  … 냐고 물어봤어요

       “SOMEONE/HE/SHE/THEY asked that…”

    DS: 동료가 물어봤어요 .  +  “휴가 때 어디에 갈 거예요?”

    RS: 동료가 휴가 때 어디에 갈 거냬요.

           My colleague asked me where I will go for vacation.

Exercise 14) Fill in the blanks.

1) 사람들이 착하             .

        I heard that people are nice.

2) 그는 매운 음식을 못 먹는               .

      I heard that he can’t eat spicy food.

3) 그는 내년에 대한민국에 갈               .

      I heard that he will go to Korea next year.

4) 제가 어제 만난 사람이 가수               .

      I heard that the person that I met is a singer.

5) 그 사람이 성준 씨 친구               .

        I heard that the person is Mr. SeongJun’s friend.

Exercise 15) Complete the sentences using the shorten forms

1) 그녀는 아프다고 했어요.

      She said that she is sick.

→                                                                                                                                            .

2) 그는 학교에 간다고 말했어요.

      He said that he goes to school.

3) 친구가 오늘 눈이 많이 왔다고 말했어요.

      My friend told me that it snowed a lot today.

4) 그들은 한국 음식을 좋아한다고 했어요.

      They told me that they like Korean food.

5) 이 옷이 유행이라고 말했어요.

      Someone told me that this clothes is in fashion.

6) 미나 씨는 3년 전에 독일에서 살았다고 말했어요.

      Mina told me that she lived in Germany 3 years ago.

7) 민경 씨는 일을 그만뒀다고 말했어요. (그만두다 to quit)

      Minkyeong told me that she quit her job.

8) 2018년에 평창 동계 올림픽이 열렸다고 했어요.

      Someone told me that PyeongChang Winter Olympic was held in 2018.

9) 그는 오늘 한국어 수업이 있 다고   말했어요.

     He said that he has Korean lesson today.

10) 대 한민국에 갔다온 친구들은 대한민국이 재미있었 다고   말했어요.

        Friends who visited Korea said that Korea was fun.

11) 다음 주부터2주 동안 백화점이 문을 닫을 거라고 했어요.

         Someone told me that from next week the department store will be closed for 2 weeks.

12) 마이클 씨는 5년 전에 의사였다고 했어요.           

        Michael said that he was a doctor 5 years ago.

13)  그들 은 한국 음식을 먹고 싶 다고 말했어요.

         They said that they want to eat Korean food.

14) 그들 은 언젠가 그를 만날 거라고   말했어요.

        They said that they will meet him some day.

15) 그 책이 재미있냐고  물어봤어요.

        Someone asked if the book is interesting.

16) 이번주 금요일에 도서관에 갈 거냐고 물어봤 어요.

        Somone asked if I will go to a library this Friday.

17) 그녀의 집들이에 같이 가자고 했어요 .

        Someone told me to go to her house warming party together. (집들이 house warming party)

18) 비밀을 지키라고  했어요 .

        Somone told me to keep their secret. (비밀을 지키다 to keep the secret)

19) 다른 사람에게 친절하라고  했어요 .  

        Someone told me to be kind to others. (다른 사람 others, 친절하다 to be kind)

20) 열심히 일하자고 했어요.

         Somone told me to study hard together.

21) 친구가 남자를 소개해 달라고 했어요.

         My friend asked me to introduce a man.

22) 그녀의 방에서 나가라고  말했어요.

        Someone told me to leave her room.

23) 남자 친구를 보여 달라고 했어요.

        Someone asked me to show my boyfriend.

24) 앉으라고   했어요.

         Someone told me to sit.

25) 그들과 같이 갈 거라고 했어요 .

         Someone said that he/she will go with them.

26) 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거냐고  물어봤어요 .

        Someone asked me what I will do this weekend.

27) 오늘 밤에 같이 영화를 보자고 했어요 .

         Someene told him to watch a movie together tonight.

28) 그들은 잘 먹겠다고   했어요.

         They said that they will eat well.

29) 요리 해 달라고 했어요.

        Someone asked me to cook dinner.

30) 더 말해 달라고 했어요.

        Somone asked me to tell it more.

31) 이것이 얼마냐고 물어봤어요.

         Someone asked me how much this is.

32) 시간이 괜찮은지 물어봤어요.

         Someone asked me if the time is ok.

33) 영어를 가르쳐 줄 수 있는지 물어봤어요.

        Someone asked me if I can teach him English.

Exercise 14)

Exercise 15)

1. 그녀는 아프대요.

2. 그는 학교에 간대요.

3. 친구가 오늘 눈이 많이 왔대요.

4. 그들은 한국 음식을 좋아한대요.

5. 이 옷이 유행이래요.

6. 미나 씨는 3년 전에 독일에서 살았대요.

7. 민경 씨는 일을 그만뒀대요.

8. 2018년에 평창 동계 올림픽이 열렸대요.

9. 그는 오늘 한국어 수업이 있대요.

10. 대한민국에 갔다온 친구들은 대한민국이 재미있었대요.

11. 다음 주부터 2주 동안 백화점이 문을 닫을 거래요.

12. 마이클 씨는 5년 전에 의사였대요.

13. 그들은 한국 음식을 먹고 싶대요.

14. 그들은 언젠가 그를 만날 거래요.

15. 그 책이 재미있냬요.

16. 이번주 금요일에 도서관에 갈 거냬요.

17. 그녀의 집들이에 같이 가재요.

18. 비밀을 지키래요.

19. 다른 사람에게 친절하래요.

20. 열심히 일하재요.

21. 친구가 남자를 소개해 달래요.

22. 그녀의 방에서 나가래요.

23. 남자 친구를 보여 달래요.

25. 그들과 같이 갈 거래요.

26. 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거냬요.

27. 오늘 밤에 같이 영화를 보재요.

28. 그들은 잘 먹겠대요.

29. 요리해 달래요.

30. 더 말해 달래요.

31. 이것이 얼마냬요.

32. 시간이 괜찮냬요.

33. 영어를 가르쳐 줄 수 있냬요.

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Tweets by YunJongCho

Lesson 54: Quoted Imperative Sentences: ~(으)라고

Click here for Korean Short Stories specifically tailored to learners at this level. Click here for a Workbook to go along with this lesson.

This Lesson is also available in Español

Vocabulary Introduction

Quoted Imperative Sentences: ~(으)라고 Negative Quoted Imperative Sentences: ~지 말라고

Click on the English word to see information and examples of that word in use. Use these sentences to give yourself a feel for how each word can be used, and maybe even to expose yourself to the grammar that you will be learning shortly.

A PDF file neatly presenting these words and extra information can be found here .

의사소통 usually refers to communication through a language. I know that sounds ambiguous, but try to understand my explanation. If I were to say a sentence like this:

제가 그 사람과 의사소통이 잘 안 돼요 = (Communication with that person isn’t good) I can’t communicate with that person

It would usually refer to there being a language barrier between the two people, and not some other type of communication problem. For example, if you were on a blind date with somebody and you just couldn’t have a good conversation, 의사소통 would usually not be used to refer to this type of “communication.” Instead, it would be better to use the word “대화” in these situations.

Examples: 저는 저의 아내 부모님과 의사소통을 하기 위해 한국어를 배웠어요 = I learned Korean so that I could communicate with my wife’s parents

외국인과의 의사소통 능력은 직업을 구하는 데 있어 가장 중요한 항목 중 하나예요 = Having the skills to communicate with foreigners is one of the most important things you can have when looking for a job

Common Usages: 조각가 = sculptor 조각미남 = a man as handsome as a statue

Examples: 당근을 작은 조각으로 자르세요 = Cut the carrots into small pieces, please 저는 떨어진 그 조각을 또 세웠어요 = I (again) stood up the pieces that fell 저는 아이들에게 피자를 한 조각씩 줄 거에요 = I will give one piece of pizza to each kid

엄마가 한 조각 더 먹으라고 했지만 제가 배불러서 더 못 먹었어요 = Mom told me to eat one more piece, but I was full so I couldn’t eat anymore

Examples: 어떤 지도교사를 만나는지에 따라 학생들의 미래가 달라질 수 있어요 = Depending on what type of guidance counselor a student meets, their future can be different

Common Usages: 영어 원어민 선생님 = native English teacher 중국어 원어민 선생님 = native Chinese teacher

Examples: 이 사람은 우리 학교(의) 영어 원어민 선생님이에요 = This person is our school’s native English teacher

우리학교에서는 영어원어민 선생님 10분이 있습니다 = At our school, there are 10 native English speakers

Examples: 이 한국드라마가 영어자막이 있었으면 좋겠어요 = I wish this Korean drama had English subtitles

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “식쭝독”

Common Usages: 식중독에 걸리다 = to get food poisoning

Examples: 식중독에 걸리면 물을 많이 마시라고 했어요 = I told him to drink a lot of water if he gets food poisoning

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “존댄말”

Notes: 존댓말 is the word for the “honorific speaking” that Korean people use when speaking with older people or people in a higher position. The opposite of 존댓말 is 반말.

This word contains a 사이시옷. For information about this, see Lesson 131.

Common Usages: 존댓말을 쓰다/하다 = to use honorific speaking

Examples: 친구들끼리는 반말을 쓰고, 어른들과 대화를 할 때는 존댓말을 써요 = Amongst friends, you speak casually, and when talking with older people, you speak formally

저의 한국어 선생님이 모든 한국 사람들이랑 존댓말을 하라고 말씀하셨어요 = My Korean teacher told me to use honorific speaking with all Korean people

반말을 쓰거나 존댓말을 쓰거나 모든 한국 사람들이 이해할 수 있을 거예요 = Regardless of if you use informal speech or honorific speech, all Korean people will be able to understand you

Common Usages: 오랜만이다 = long time no see

Examples: 어제부터 오랜만에 쉴 생각을 하니 설레었다 = Starting yesterday I got excited thinking of resting for the first time in ages.

우리가 오랜만에 만날 거라서 저는 친구에게 우리 집에 오라고 했어요 = It will be a long time since we last met, so I told him to come to our house

오랜만에 친구와 수다를 떠니 잠시 있고 있었던 옛 날 생각이 많이 났다 = (Because) I am chatting with an old friend for the first time in a long time, a lot of thoughts of the old days have come up

Examples: 애기가 있으면 2시간마다 애기를 먹여야 돼요 = When you have a baby, you need to feed him/her every two hours

이 약을 아기에게 한 시간에 한번씩 먹이면 됩니다 = You should feed/give this medicine to the baby once every hour

Common Usages: 뛰어가다 = to run to (to go by running) 뛰어다니다 = to run around an area 뛰어오다 = to come by running 뛰어 넘다 = to run/jump over something 심장이 뛰다 = for a heart to be pounding

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “우녕하다”

Common Usages: 운영비 = management/operational fees 운영체제 = operating system (on a computer) 회사/사업을 운영하다 = to manage a company 웹사이트를 운영하다 = to manage a website

Examples: 회사를 자유롭게 운영하고 싶으면 혼자 하라고 했어요 = I told him that if he wants to run his business freely, to do it himself

The noun form of this word (“갱신”) translates to “renewal”

Common Usages: 계약을 갱신하다 = to renew a contract 비자를 갱신하다 = to renew a visa

Examples: 내년에도 계약을 갱신할 수 있었으면 좋겠어요 = I wish/hope I can renew my contract next year

The noun form of this word (“토”) translates to “vomit.”

Common Usages: 토할 뻔 했다 = to almost throw up

Examples: 해물을 먹었다가 토했어요 = I ate seafood and then threw up 차에 제발 토하지 말라고 했어요 = I said ‘please don’t throw up’ in the car 제가 밥을 먹었을 때 거의 토할 뻔 했어요 = When I was eating I almost threw up

The noun form of this word (“과장”) translates to “an exaggeration”

Notes: You can call somebody who over-exaggerates too much an “오버쟁이”

Examples: 제 남편은 이야기를 할 때마다 심하게 과장을 해요 = Whenever my husband talks he always (severely) exaggerates

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “분서카다”

The noun form of this word (“분석”) translates to “analysis”

Common Usages: 분석가 = analyst 시장 분석 = market analysis 캐릭터 분석 = character analysis

Examples: 연구결과를 분석해 주세요 = Please analyze the results of the research 자료를 표에 넣고 분석했어요 = I put the data into a table and analyzed it

이 사진이 무언가를 나타내기 위해 찍은 사진 같아서 분석을 해 봐야 해요 = I think this picture was taken to show something, so we should analyze it

Notes: This word is a combination of the words 오르다 (to go up) and 타다 (to get on, to ride).

Common Usages: 말에 올라타다 = to get on a horse 버스에 올라타다 = to get on a bus

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “참서카다”

The noun form of this word (“참석”) translates to “attendance”

Common Usages: 참석률 = attendance rate 참석자 = a person in attendance

Examples: 중요한 내용이 없어서 회의를 참석하지 말라고 했어요 = He told me to not attend the meeting because there is nothing important (no important content)

저는 참석을 못 하는데 저 대신에 저의 부인이 갈 거예요 = I can’t attend, but instead of me, my wife will go

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “자유롭따”

Notes: This word is not used to describe something that doesn’t cost money. Instead, it is used to describe “free” in the sense that something has no restrictions.

그 친구는 매우 자유롭기 때문에 하고 싶은 걸 다 할 수 있어서 부러워요 = I am envious of that friend because he can do anything he wants because he is very free

Notes: The usage of 와중 is similar to the word 동안 in that it can’t be used by itself in a sentence. It is often described by a verb to indicate that something comes up “right while” some other action was processing. For example:

밥을 먹는 와중에 친구가 더러운 이야기를 해서 밥맛이 떨어졌어요 = Right when I was eating, my friend talked about something dirty so I lost by appetite

It can also be described by adjectives, the most common of which being “바쁜 와중” and “아픈 와중.” For example:

너무 바쁜 와중에 친구가 찾아왔기 때문에 친구와 시간을 보내지 못했어요 = Right when I was busy, my friend came looking for me so I couldn’t spend any time with him

It can also be placed after 그 to describe a time period referenced by context, for example:

For help memorizing these words, try using our mobile app .

There are 625 vocabulary entries in Unit 3. All entries are linked to an audio file. You can download all of these files in one package here .

Introduction

You learned a lot about quoted sentences in the previous two lessons, but there is still more for you to learn. In this lesson, you will learn how to quote a command. Let’s get started.

Quoted Imperative Sentences: ~( 으 ) 라고

In Lesson 40 , you learned how to make a command with the imperative mood. You learned that there are many ways to end a sentence when giving somebody a command. Aside from their respective differences in politeness, any of these could be added to a verb to make a command:

~아/어 ~아/어라 ~(으)세요 ~(으)십시오

I could apply these different formalities to any verb. For example:

수고해! = work hard! 수고해라! = work hard! 수고하세요! = work hard! 수고하십시오! = work hard!

However, when quoting a clause that ends as a command, none of these additions are attached to the final verb in the clause. When quoting a command, you use an ending that is similar to the second one presented (~아/어라). Here is a list of verbs with that addition added to it:

가라 먹어라 뛰어라 읽어라 올라타라

When quoting these words as commands, you must attach ~ ( 으) 라고 to the stem of the verb. ~으라고 is added to the stem of a verb ending in a consonant (except ㄹ), and ~라고 is added to the stem of a verb ending in a vowel (and where the final consonant isㄹ). Notice that the first part of the addition is ~(으) and not ~아/어. The difference can be significant depending on the word. For example, here is a table showing how a verb will change depending on if ~(으)라 or ~아/어라 is added:

In addition to some basic words, I specifically chose a bunch of irregular verbs. It is a good exercise to look at this type of table. If you don’t know why these changes are being made, you might want to brush up on your irregulars from Lesson 7 .

Notice from the table that in some cases (가다, for example), there is no difference between how the two additions are added to a verb. However, in most cases, there is a difference.

Anyways, the addition we are looking at in this lesson is ~(으)라고. This addition can be added to a command that you want to quote. Below are many, many examples:

우리 아빠는 저에게 밥을 빨리 먹으라고 했어요 = My dad told me to eat fast 선생님은 학생들에게 열심히 공부하라고 했어요 = The teacher told the students to study hard 나는 애기에게 우유를 마시라고 했어 = I told the baby to drink his milk 버스 아저씨가 나한테 올라타라고 했어요 = The bus driver told me to get on (the bus)

식중독에 걸리면 물을 많이 마시라고 했어요 = I told him to drink a lot of water if he gets food poisoning

애기가 배가 고파서 남편에게 밥을 먹이라고 했어요 = I told my husband to feed the baby because he is/was hungry

어머니는 아들한테 밥을 먹으러 빨리 오라고 했어요 = The mother told her son to quickly come to eat

회사를 자유롭게 운영하고 싶으면 혼자 하라고 했어요 = I told him that if he wants to run his business freely, to do it himself

저는 직원들에게 불만이 있으면 저에게 아무 때나 말을 하라고 했어요 = I told the workers that if they have a complaint (are dissatisfied), to talk to me anytime

대학교 때 자유롭게 공부하고 싶으면 지도교사가 전공을 나중에 선택하라고 말했어요 = If you want to study freely in university, my guidance counselor told me to choose my major later

한국어실력을 늘리고 싶으면 선생님이 한국 사람들이랑 의사소통을 많이 하라고 그랬어요 = If I want to expand my Korean language ability, my teacher told me to communicate a lot with Korean people

Now that we know all of this, we can look at how to quote negative imperative sentences.

Negative Quoted Imperative Sentences: ~ 지 말라고

In the previous section, you learned how to add ~(으)라고 to a command that you want quote. In Lesson 40 , you learned how to make negative commands by using ~지 말다. For example:

가지 말아 가지 마세요 가지 마십시오

By attaching ~(으)라고 to ~지 말다, you can create a negative quoted command. For example:

가지 말라고 먹지 말라고 하지 말라고 마시지 말라고 읽지 말라고

It is essentially the same principle from the previous section, but I figured it was worth introducing separately. Below are many examples of this in use:

그렇게 하지 말라고 했어 = I told you not to do it like that 불을 만지지 말라고 했어 = I told you not to touch the fire 밥을 그렇게 빨리 먹지 말라고 했어요 = I told you not to eat food that fast 선생님은 수업에 늦게 오지 말라고 했어요 = The teacher told us not to come late to class 선생님이 복도에서 뛰지 말라고 했어요 = The teacher said not to run in the hallway 차에 제발 토하지 말라고 했어요 = I said ‘please don’t throw up’ in the car

여자친구는 다른 여자와 대화를 하지 말라고 했어요 = My girlfriend told me not to talk to (have a conversation with) other girls

제가 공부하는 동안 저에게 얘기하지 말라고 그랬어요 = I told him not to speak to me while I’m studying

중요한 내용이 없어서 회의를 참석하지 말라고 했어요 = He told me to not attend the meeting because there is nothing important (no important content)

남자 친구에게 계속 과장하지 말라고 했지만 그는 한 달에 거의 500 만 원을 번다고 했어요 = I told my boyfriend to not exaggerate, but he said that he almost makes 500 만 원 per month

There are 1200 example sentences in Unit 3. All entries are linked to an audio file. You can download all of these files in one package here .

Okay, I got it! Take me to the next lesson! Or,

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[Korean grammar] Indirect Quotations

민우 씨가 저에게 정말 아름답 다고 했어요. Minu said I was really beautiful.

하영 씨가 저에게 사랑 한다고 그랬어요. Hayeong said she loves me.

민우 씨가 결혼하 자고 했어요. Minu said we should get married.

Grammar Focus: An indirect quotation refers to the citing, without the use of quotation marks, of what someone wrote or said. Further, the form of the expression can change depending on the type of quotation, verb tense, and parts of speech involved. Thus, the forms of indirect quotations are more varied and complex than those of direct Quotations.  After changing the form of the content to be emoted, -고 is attached and used along with a verb such as 말하다 (to speak, to say), 물어보다 (to ask, to inquire), 전하다 (to tell, to convey) or 듣다 (to listen, to hear). These verbs can be substituted with 하다 or 그러다.  Vst means “Verb stem”, and Ast means “Adjective stem”. The negative forms of suggestive and imperative quotations are 지 말자고 하다 and -지 말라고 하다, respectively.

1. Suggestive Sentences • 민우 씨는 “내일 산에 가지 맙시다.” 라고 말했어요. Minu said, “Let’s not go to the mountain tomorrow.” ->민우 씨는 내일 산에 가 지 말자고 했어요.  Minu said we shouldn’t go to the mountain tomorrow.

2. Imperative Sentences • 의사 선생님이 “담배를 피우지 마세요.” 라고 하셨어요.  The doctor said, “Don’t smoke.” ->의사 선생님이 담배를 피우 지 말라고 하셨어요.  The doctor said not to smoke.

When the first person pronoun 나/내 or 저/제 appears inside an indirect quotation, it changes to 자기. • 왕징 씨가 “저한테 얘기하세요.” 라고 말했어요. Wang Jing said, “Please tell me.” ->왕징 씨가 자기한테 말하 라고 했어요. Wang Jing said to tell her.

• 리처드 씨가 “제 고향은 뉴욕이에요.” 라고 말했이요.  Richard said, “My hometown is New York.” ->리처드 씨가 자기(의) 고향은 뉴욕 이라고 말했어요.  Richard said his hometown is New York.

Conversation: A: 제이슨 씨 여기 있어요? Is Jason here? B: 없는데요. No. he’s not (here). A: 제이슨 씨가 오면 식당으로 오 라고 전해 주세요. When he gets here, please tell him to come to the cafeteria.

A: 삼계탕 먹어 봤어요? Have you tried samgyetang? B: 아니요, 그렇지만 먹어 본 친구들이 맛있 다고 해요. No, but my friends who have tried it said it was delicious.

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Episode 40: Indirect Speech with Verbs ~ㄴ다고

안녕하세용ㅇㅇㅇㅇㅇㅇ~!!!

I think it's been over a month that I haven't written blog posts for our Weekly Korean series and it definitely feels weird to have to write one now. Hope you didn't miss my awkward writing too much (I'm definitely better at public speaking than writing) ^^

As for what we'll be discussing today, I decided to pick a topic that will not fit into a single video so that we can break it down into manageable bite-size pieces and stretch it over multiple episodes. And this seemingly difficult topic is Indirect Speech. Sounds a bit vague, doesn't it? Let's figure out what indirect speech actually means!

In short, we use indirect speech every time we quote someone else (or even ourselves). Example of that would be something like "He said that he didn't study" or "I'll tell them that I didn't eat dinner." Now let's figure out how to say this in Korean. Any guesses, anyone?

Common Intuitive Misconception

As I mentioned in the video, if you have been studying Korean for a while you would probably try to intuitively figure out how to form indirect sentences. So let's try and go down this intuitive route:

Here is a sample English sentence: "She said she will go to Korea next week."

Looking at this sentence we can see a clear subject, object and verb.

Subject: She

Object [clause]: she will go to Korea next week

Let's translate these bits and piece into Korean.

Subject: 그녀는

Verb: 말했어요 (말하다)

Object: 그녀가 다음 주에 한국에 갈 거예요.

Intuitively speaking we can assume that directly modifying the object using ~는 것 would solve the issue by turning it into a compound noun (we will basically get rid of the 갈 거예요). As much as I would love Korean to be THAT simple, it isn't. However, if we dig deeper into semantics we can actually see why it is impossible to use ~는 것 in this case. Would you like to know why?

As we can see, the object clause is pretty much a sentence of its own, which is what makes it impossible for us to use direct modifying. What I am getting at is that when we directly modify a clause, we rid it of any verb-like qualities. This raises a question of what is the fundamental difference between verbs and nouns? In short, verbs portray action and nouns simply describe objects (whether animate or inanimate). So by directly modifying "she will go to Korean next week" we are turning this clause into something like "her going to Korea next week." Now let's plug this clause into the English sentence and see if it makes sense. "She said her going to Korea next week..." Yea, that didn't work out too well, did it?

In the end, indirect speech allows us to talk about certain actions and occurrences which are dynamic. The girl in the example sentence is talking about going, which is an action, so we have no choice but to keep the verb in that clause. Phew~~ hope that made sense :)

Now let's look at what to use instead of ~는 것 to finally form this tricky sentence!

Plain/Diary Form Conjugation

I have received a lot of questions from my dear viewers about one particular way to conjugate Korean verbs, which seems to confuse a lot of them in terms of when to use it and how. Thankfully, we get a chance to talk about this interesting conjugation form because it is used in indirect speech! Woooo~~~ The form I am talking about is called plain form (keep watching the video to find out why it is sometimes called the 'diary form').

Here's a table of some of the most common Korean verbs in plain form:

Now after familiarising ourselves with this table we are ready to create an indirect sentence! How exciting ^^

Quoting with Verbs: ~ㄴ/는다고

Let's take the bits of pieces of our sentence that we translated to Korean earlier:

Now let's substitute 갈거예요 with future tense plain form of 가다, which is 가겠다. So now we have 그녀가 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다. Let's try plugging it into the full sentence*:

*By the way, we can drop the 그녀가 in the object clause because we know that the girl is talking about herself, otherwise she would specify who she was talking about.

그녀는 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다 말했어요

Oh no, it seems like we have another clash of verbs here! 가겠다 is clashing with 말했다, so what do we do? Of course, we use our foul proof connective particle ~고 and just stick it right in between these verbs! We end up with:

그녀는 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다고 말했어요- She said she will be going to Korean next week

Woooooo~! We've succeeded :D :D

So this is how we form indirect sentences and now let's practice playing around with tenses of the quoted part or the final verb because we can have all sorts of situations requiring sentences in different tenses.

Conjugating the Quote

Let's say that the girl said that she will be going to Korea today. In this case we will need to use the present tense of the plain form for 가다:

그녀는 오늘 한국에 간다고 말했어요- She said she is going to Korea today

What if she told us that she went to Korea last month?

그녀는 지난 달에 한국에 갔다고 말했어요- She said she went to Korea last month

Conjugating the Final Verb

Hope you guys are following so far and aren't feeling completely lost, so I am going to throw in a bit more conjugation into the pot, which shouldn't be too difficult for us because it's one of the fundamental parts of Korean that all of us have learned, right? :P

This time our friend is saying that she will be going to Korean next week and she is saying it right now:

그녀는 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다고 말하고 있어요- She is saying that she will go to Korean next week

I know, it is not necessarily logical, but let's say that she will be saying that she will be going to Korea next week:

그녀는 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다고 말할 거예요- She will say that she will go to Korea next week

Useful Tip:

Lastly, I just want to remind you all that Koreans love to make their language easier and shorten things so in the case of indirect speech, instead of using 말하다, Koreans just say 하다 and of course conjugate it however is necessary:

그녀는 다음 주에 한국에 가겠다고 했어요- She said she will go to Korea next week

그는 시험을 준비했다고 했어요- He said he prepared for the exam

저는 물을 안 마셨다고 했어요- I said I didn't drink water

Phewwww~~ That is it for today!

Hope it wasn't too difficult and if you have any questions let me know :)

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