B1 · Intermediate Chapter 18

Relaying Complex Messages and Rumors

6 Total Rules
63 examples
5 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

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.

What You'll Learn

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.

Chapter Guide

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.

Key Examples (8)

1

Jessica said she came to Korea yesterday.

Jessica said she came to Korea yesterday.

Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech
2

I heard that movie was really interesting.

I heard that movie was really interesting.

Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech
3

민수가 내일 학교에 올 거라고 했어요.

Minsu said he will come to school tomorrow.

Future Reporting: I heard they will... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
4

기상청에서 오늘 밤에 눈이 올 거라고 해요.

The weather bureau says it will snow tonight.

Future Reporting: I heard they will... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
5

My friend asked if the movie was interesting.

My friend asked if the movie was interesting.

Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
6

The teacher asked if I had done all my homework.

The teacher asked if I had done all my homework.

Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
7

The doctor told me to quit smoking.

The doctor told me to quit smoking.

Reporting Commands: "Tell Someone To..." ((으)라고 하다)
8

My friend told me to come early tomorrow.

My friend told me to come early tomorrow.

Reporting Commands: "Tell Someone To..." ((으)라고 하다)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Keep the Tense

Don't change the tense inside the quote. If they said 'I ate', it stays 'ate' in Korean.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech
💡

Check the Stem

Always check if the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant to choose between -ㄹ and -을.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Future Reporting: I heard they will... (ㄹ/을 거라고)
💡

Verb vs Adjective

Remember: Verbs get '느냐고', Adjectives just get '냐고'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)
💡

Check the stem

Always check if the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant to choose between -라고 and -으라고.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Commands: "Tell Someone To..." ((으)라고 하다)

Key Vocabulary (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

Common Mistakes

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.

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

Quick Practice (10)

Select the most formal version.

___ 합니다.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 갈 거라고 합니다
Formal ending.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Future Reporting: I heard they will... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

Correct the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

그가 어디 가냐고 말했다.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 그가 어디 가냐고 물었다
Reported questions use '묻다'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

선생님이 공부( ) 하셨어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 하라고
Vowel stem + 라고.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Commands: "Tell Someone To..." ((으)라고 하다)

Choose the correct form.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 먹었다고 했어요
Correct past tense reporting.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

친구에게 오라고 했어요. (Wait, the friend said 'come' to me)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 달라고 했어요
When the speaker is the recipient, use -달라고.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Commands: "Tell Someone To..." ((으)라고 하다)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 그가 예쁘냐고 물었다
Adjective + 냐고 + 묻다.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)

Choose the correct reporting structure.

내일 비가 ___ 거라고 해요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 올
Future prediction.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Future Reporting: I heard they will... (ㄹ/을 거라고)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

그가 갔다고 해요 (He said he went).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 그가 갔다고 했어요
Reporting verb must be past.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Said that [verb]ed - Past Indirect Speech

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

민수가 내일 ___ (오다).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 온대
Verb '오다' + -ㄴ대.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Short Reported Speech: I heard that... (-ㄴ/은/는대)

Fill in the blank.

선생님이 숙제를 ___ 물으셨어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 했느냐고
Honorific reporting.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reporting Questions: '...asked if...' (냐고/으냐고 묻다)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, use -ㄴ/는다고 하다 for present tense.
Korean indirect speech preserves the original tense of the utterance.
No, this is specifically for future intentions or predictions.
It is a contraction of '것이라고'.
Yes, '물어봤어요' is a very common, slightly more casual way to say 'asked'.
In written Korean, yes. In spoken Korean, it is often dropped.
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Respecting the Subject: Honorific Verb Forms
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