B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 18

Relaying Complex Messages and Rumors

6 Règles totales
63 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of relaying information, gossip, and plans with native-level confidence.

  • Report past statements and future intentions accurately.
  • Transform direct questions and commands into natural indirect speech.
  • Utilize casual short-form reporting to sound like a local.
From direct quotes to social storytelling mastery.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Ready to become the ultimate Korean conversationalist? This chapter isn't just about repeating words; it's about mastering the art of relaying complex messages, rumors, and conversations with precision and natural flow! We're diving deep into six essential patterns that will make your Korean sound incredibly natural. You'll learn how to accurately report past statements with 다고 (Said that [verb]ed), and share future plans or predictions using ㄹ/을 거라고 (I heard they will...). Imagine confidently sharing gossip about what your favorite K-pop idol *said they'd do* next! Ever struggled to report a question? Not anymore! With 냐고/으냐고 묻다, you'll effortlessly turn direct questions into reported ones, just like saying '...asked if...' in English. Need to pass on an order? We'll tackle (으)라고 하다 for reporting commands ('He told me to...'), even navigating the tricky 주다/달다 distinctions. And for those group plans, -자고 하다 lets you report suggestions or proposals like 'She suggested we...' But the real game-changer for sounding native? The short reported speech form, -ㄴ/은/는대. This casual gem lets you quickly and smoothly relay information you heard from others, like 'I heard that...' without a mouthful of words. By the end of this chapter, you'll move beyond direct quotes to truly *converse* in Korean, making your conversations richer and more engaging. Get ready to sound more natural, more expressive, and totally in the know!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Accurately report what a friend said they did yesterday.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Relay a question or command heard from a third party.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Welcome to your next big step in mastering Korean grammar B1! This chapter is your ticket to becoming a truly natural and engaging Korean speaker. We're moving beyond simple sentences and diving into the exciting world of relaying complex messages and sharing what others have said, asked, or even suggested.
This isn't just about memorizing rules; it's about adding nuance and flow to your conversations, making you sound incredibly authentic. At the CEFR B1 level, you're ready to tackle these sophisticated structures that are essential for everyday communication in Korea.
Imagine effortlessly sharing gossip about a K-pop idol's next move, recounting a friend's exciting travel plans, or relaying an important message from your boss – all with precision and ease. This guide will equip you with six powerful Korean grammar patterns that cover every scenario of indirect speech. You'll learn to report past statements, future predictions, questions, commands, and suggestions, making your dialogue richer and more dynamic.
By mastering these patterns, you'll significantly enhance your conversational abilities. No more direct quotes that sound clunky; instead, you'll seamlessly integrate reported speech, reflecting the natural rhythm of Korean conversations. Get ready to transform your Korean language skills and truly connect with native speakers on a deeper level!

How This Grammar Works

This chapter introduces six crucial Korean grammar patterns for indirect speech, allowing you to rephrase what someone else said without directly quoting them.
First, for relaying statements, we use -다고 하다. This covers both verbs and adjectives. For present tense verbs, you attach -는다고 하다 (e.g., 먹다 becomes 먹는다고 하다), and for adjectives, -다고 하다 (e.g., 예쁘다 becomes 예쁘다고 하다). For past tense, it's -았/었다고 하다 (e.g., 갔다 becomes 갔다고 하다).
* 민수 씨가 어제 영화를 봤다고 했어요. (Minsu said he watched a movie yesterday.)
* 그 식당 음식이 맛있다고 해요. (They say the food at that restaurant is delicious.)
To report future plans or predictions, we use -ㄹ/을 거라고 하다. This combines the future tense ending with the reported speech marker.
* 친구가 내일 파티에 올 거라고 했어요. (My friend said they would come to the party tomorrow.)
* 비가 올 거라고 들었어요. (I heard it's going to rain.)
When you need to report a question, the pattern is -냐고/으냐고 묻다/하다. The verb 묻다 (to ask) is commonly used.
* 선생님이 숙제가 있냐고 물어봤어요. (The teacher asked if there was homework.)
* 친구가 어디 가냐고 했어요. (My friend asked where I was going.)
For reporting commands or requests, we use -(으)라고 하다. Remember the distinction for give me requests: -달라고 하다 when the speaker is asking for something for themselves, and -주라고 하다 when asking for something for someone else.
* 엄마가 방을 청소하라고 했어요. (Mom told me to clean my room.)
* 친구가 저에게 책을 달라고 했어요. (My friend asked me to give them the book.)
To report suggestions or proposals, similar to "let's," we use -자고 하다.
* 수미가 같이 밥 먹자고 했어요. (Sumi suggested we eat together.)
Finally, for a casual and natural flow, master the short reported speech form: -ㄴ/은/는대. This is a shortened version of -다고/라고/냐고/자고 하다 and is very common in informal conversations.
* 친구가 오늘 바쁘대. (My friend said they're busy today.) (Short for 바쁘다고 해.)
* 내일 영화 보러 가재. (They suggested we go watch a movie tomorrow.) (Short for 가자고 해.)

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: 친구가 어디 가다고 물어봤어요.
✓ Correct: 친구가 어디 가냐고 물어봤어요.
*Explanation:* When reporting a question, you must use the question form -냐고/으냐고 with 묻다/하다, not the statement form -다고.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 엄마가 숙제를 같이 하라고 했어요. (Meaning: Mom suggested we do homework together.)
✓ Correct: 엄마가 숙제를 같이 하자고 했어요.
*Explanation:* -(으)라고 하다 is for commands (do it!). If you want to report a suggestion ("let's do it!"), you need to use -자고 하다.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 사장님이 회의가 늦겠대. (Meaning: The boss said the meeting would be late.)
✓ Correct: 사장님이 회의가 늦을 거라고 했어요.
*Explanation:* The short reported speech form -ㄴ/은/는대 is highly informal. It's inappropriate to use it when speaking about or to superiors like your boss (사장님). Always use the full, polite forms in formal situations.

Real Conversations

A

A

민수 씨가 내일 뭐 한대요? (What did Minsu say he's doing tomorrow?)
B

B

민수 씨가 내일 친구랑 영화 보러 갈 거라고 했어요. (Minsu said he's going to watch a movie with a friend tomorrow.)
A

A

어제 선생님이 뭐라고 물어보셨어요? (What did the teacher ask yesterday?)
B

B

선생님이 다음 주까지 숙제를 내라고 하셨어요. (The teacher told us to turn in the homework by next week.)
A

A

수미가 왜 이렇게 피곤해 보여? (Why does Sumi look so tired?)
B

B

어제 밤새 게임했대. (She said she played games all night last night.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I use Korean indirect speech for adjectives?

For adjectives, you generally use -다고 하다. For example, '예쁘다' (to be pretty) becomes '예쁘다고 하다' (said it was pretty). You attach -다고 하다 directly to the adjective stem.

Q

What's the difference between -라고 하다 and -달라고 하다 in Korean reported commands?

-라고 하다 is a general command, telling someone to do something. -달라고 하다 is a specific type of command used when the speaker is asking someone to *give something to them* or *do something for them*. For example, '돈을 내라고 했어요' (He told them to pay money) vs. '돈을 달라고 했어요' (He asked them to give *him* money).

Q

Can I use -ㄴ/은/는대 in formal situations?

No, -ㄴ/은/는대 is an informal, casual form of reported speech and should be avoided in formal settings or when speaking to superiors. Stick to the full, polite forms like -다고 하다 and -라고 하다 when formality is required.

Q

Are there different forms of indirect speech for different tenses in Korean?

Yes! The tense of the original statement is often reflected *before* the indirect speech ending. For example, '먹었다' (ate) becomes '먹었다고 하다' (said they ate), and '먹을 것이다' (will eat) becomes '먹을 거라고 하다' (said they would eat).

Cultural Context

In Korean culture, using indirect speech is incredibly common, especially to soften direct statements, avoid confrontation, or show politeness. Instead of directly stating an opinion, Koreans often say "They say it's good
(좋다고 해요) or
I heard it's good" (좋대요). The short forms like -ㄴ/은/는대 are prevalent in casual conversations among friends and family, making communication faster and more fluid.
Mastering these forms will make your Korean sound much more natural and integrated into everyday social interactions.

Exemples clés (8)

1

Jessica said she came to Korea yesterday.

Jessica a dit qu'elle est venue en Corée hier.

A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé
2

I heard that movie was really interesting.

J'ai entendu dire que ce film était vraiment intéressant.

A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé
3

민수가 내일 학교에 올 거라고 했어요.

Minsu a dit qu'il viendrait à l'école demain.

Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
4

기상청에서 오늘 밤에 눈이 올 거라고 해요.

La météo dit qu'il va neiger ce soir.

Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
5

My friend asked if the movie was interesting.

Mon ami a demandé si le film était intéressant.

Rapporter des Questions : '...a demandé si...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
6

The teacher asked if I had done all my homework.

Le professeur a demandé si j'avais fini tous mes devoirs.

Rapporter des Questions : '...a demandé si...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
7

내일 비가 온대요.

J'ai entendu dire qu'il va pleuvoir demain.

Discours Rapporté Court : J'ai entendu dire que... (-ㄴ/은/는대)
8

그 식당 음식이 정말 맛있대.

Il paraît que la cuisine de ce resto est délicieuse.

Discours Rapporté Court : J'ai entendu dire que... (-ㄴ/은/는대)

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

Le raccourci 'Dae'

Dans la vraie vie, on raccourcit souvent «~았/었다고 해» en «~았/었대». C'est super courant à l'oral : «그 사람이 벌써 갔대요.»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé
💡

La nuance du 'Messager'

En utilisant cette forme, tu montres que tu ne fais que transmettre l'info, sans garantir le résultat : «민수가 올 거라고 했어요.»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
🎯

Le raccourci des natifs

À l'oral, on zappe souvent le 으 ou le 느. Du coup, 좋으냐고 devient souvent «좋냐고» et 가느냐고 devient «가냐고». C'est plus fluide !
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter des Questions : '...a demandé si...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
🎯

La nuance du don

Vérifie toujours qui reçoit l'objet. Si la personne a dit 'Donne-le moi !', utilise «달라고». Si c'était 'Donne-le lui !', utilise «주라고». C'est un piège classique !
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter un ordre : « Dis-lui de... » ((으)라고 하다)

Vocabulaire clé (5)

전하다 (jeonhada) to convey/relay 소문 (somun) rumor 말씀하다 (malsseumhada) to speak (honorific) 물어보다 (mureoboda) to ask 제안하다 (jeanhada) to suggest

Real-World Preview

coffee

Office Gossip

Review Summary

  • Verb + -다고 하다
  • Verb + -ㄹ/을 거라고 하다
  • Verb + -냐고 묻다
  • Verb + -(으)라고 하다
  • Verb + -자고 하다
  • Verb + -ㄴ/은/는대

Erreurs courantes

You cannot use -다고 for questions. Use -냐고 for inquiries.

Wrong: 그가 집에 간다고 묻었어요.
Correct: 그가 집에 가냐고 물었어요.

Reported commands drop the polite honorific suffix inside the quote.

Wrong: 선생님은 공부를 하세요라고 했어요.
Correct: 선생님은 공부를 하라고 하셨어요.

In casual settings, -대 is much more natural than the full -다고 해요.

Wrong: 내일 비가 온다고 해요 (shortened to 내일 비가 온대요 is correct, but using long form in casual speech sounds stiff).
Correct: 내일 비가 온대요.

Règles dans ce chapitre (6)

1

A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé

B1
Utilise «았/었다고» pour rapporter ce qui s'est déjà passé en ajoutant simplement «했다고» après le radical au passé.
Jessica said she came to Korea yesterday.
10 exemples
2

Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

B1
Utilise «ㄹ/을 거라고» pour rapporter ce que quelqu'un a dit ou pensé à propos du futur.
민수가 내일 학교에 올 거라고 했어요.
10 exemples
3

Rapporter des Questions : '...a demandé si...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)

B1
Utilise cette structure pour rapporter des questions : «냐고» pour les adjectifs, «느냐고» pour les verbes, et «(이)냐고» pour les noms.
My friend asked if the movie was interesting.
10 exemples
4

Rapporter un ordre : « Dis-lui de... » ((으)라고 하다)

B1
Utilise «(으)라고 하다» pour dire 'Il m'a dit de...'. C'est l'outil idéal pour transmettre des ordres ou des requêtes en gérant bien la nuance «달라고» pour soi.
The doctor told me to quit smoking.
12 exemples
5

Discours rapporté : « Allons... » (-jago hada)

B1
Utilise «-자고 하다» pour rapporter une proposition de faire quelque chose ensemble, comme un "Let's" indirect.
My friend suggested we have a drink tonight.
10 exemples
6

Discours Rapporté Court : J'ai entendu dire que... (-ㄴ/은/는대)

B1
Utilise «-대(요)» pour rapporter ce que tu as entendu sans alourdir ta phrase. C'est parfait pour les on dit que ou "j'ai entendu dire".
내일 비가 온대요.
11 exemples

Next Steps

You've successfully mastered the art of reporting! Use these new tools to keep your conversations lively and accurate. See you in the next chapter!

Listen to a K-drama and identify one reported statement.

Continue to: Respecting the Subject: Honorific Verb Forms

Pratique rapide (6)

Quelle phrase rapporte correctement : 'Il a dit qu'il est rentré à la maison' ?

Choisis la bonne phrase en coréen :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 집에 갔다고 했어요.
«간다고» est au présent, «가라고» est un ordre, mais «갔다고» rapporte bien l'action passée.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé

Trouve l'erreur pour rapporter un adjectif au passé.

Find and fix the mistake:

그 영화가 재미있다고 했어요. (Voulu : Il a dit que le film ÉTAIT intéressant)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 재미있었다고 했어요.
«재미있다고» est au présent. Pour dire 'était intéressant', il faut le radical passé «재미있었».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans ce rapport au futur.

Find and fix the mistake:

친구가 피자를 먹거라고 했어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 친구가 피자를 먹을 거라고 했어요.
Les verbes finissant par une consonne comme «먹다» prennent toujours «을 거라고».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

Quelle phrase rapporte correctement un projet futur ?

Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 선생님이 시험이 쉬울 거라고 했어요.
«쉬울 거라고» est la bonne façon de rapporter une prédiction future pour un adjectif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

Complète la phrase avec la bonne forme de discours indirect au passé.

친구가 어제 피자를 ___ 했어요. (먹다 - manger)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 먹었다고
Puisque l'action (manger) a eu lieu hier, on utilise le radical au passé «먹었» + «다고».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A dit que [verbe] - Discours indirect passé

Complète la phrase en utilisant la forme du futur rapporté.

지수가 내일 파티에 (오다) ___ 했어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 올 거라고
Comme l'action se passe 'demain' (내일), on doit utiliser la forme du futur rapporté «올 거라고».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter le futur : J'ai entendu dire qu'ils vont... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

Score: /6

Questions fréquentes (6)

C'est une question de temps ! «았/었다고» rapporte un événement passé ("Il a dit qu'il a mangé), alors que ㄴ/는다고
rapporte le présent (
Il dit qu'il mange").
Absolument. Contrairement au présent, au passé les adjectifs se comportent comme les verbes : «좋았다» devient «좋았다고».
C'est la version parlée de «ㄹ 것이라고». Tu peux l'utiliser poliment en ajoutant «요» à la fin : «거라고요».
Oui ! Pour les noms, utilise «일 거라고». Par exemple : «선물일 거라고 생각해요» (Je pense que ce sera un cadeau).
Ça sert à rapporter une question posée par quelqu'un d'autre. C'est comme passer de Tu vas bien ? à "Il a demandé si j'allais bien« : »괜찮냐고 물어봤어요".
Tout dépend du radical de l'adjectif. S'il finit par une consonne comme 좋다, on utilise -으냐고 («좋으냐고»). S'il finit par une voyelle comme 예쁘다, c'est -냐고 («예쁘냐고»).
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Respectful Speech and Basic Quotes
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