Expressing Shock: 'I can't believe...' (~다니)
~다니 to express 'I can't believe that...' when reacting to surprising or regrettable news.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use ~다니 to express shock or disbelief about a fact you just learned or recalled.
- Attach ~다니 to the verb/adjective stem: '그가 왔다니!' (I can't believe he came!)
- Use with past tense markers: '시험에 합격했다니!' (I can't believe I passed the exam!)
- It functions as a noun-modifying clause that stands alone as an exclamation.
Overview
Korean grammar often provides distinct patterns for conveying not just information, but also the speaker's emotional response to that information. The particle ~다니 (da-ni), derived from ~다고 하니 (da-go ha-ni) or ~다고 하니까 (da-go ha-ni-kka) meaning "since/because it is said that...", serves precisely this function. In modern usage, ~다니 has evolved beyond its literal origin to become a direct and versatile expression of surprise, disbelief, amazement, admiration, regret, or frustration upon encountering new, often unexpected, information.
It’s akin to saying “To think that…”, “I can’t believe that…”, or “Is it true that…?” in English, encapsulating a strong emotional reaction. This pattern is particularly prevalent in spoken Korean, social media, and expressive writing, signaling that the speaker's internal state has been significantly impacted by the reported content. You use it when a piece of news or a statement genuinely catches you off guard, evoking a range of feelings from pleasant wonder to deep dismay.
Understanding ~다니 is crucial for moving beyond basic reporting and adding a rich layer of emotional nuance to your Korean communication.
How This Grammar Works
~다니 functions as a grammatical connector that takes a statement—which can be a verb, adjective, or noun construction—and presents it as the cause or stimulus for the speaker's subsequent emotional reaction. It operates by attaching to the plain form of a verb, adjective, or (이)다 (to be) for nouns, effectively quoting the surprising information. This quoted information then becomes the foundation upon which your emotional response is built.~다니 often precedes an explicit statement of emotion, such as ~다니 놀랍다 (It’s surprising that…), it can also stand alone as an exclamation, particularly when followed by a question mark or the polite ~요 ending (~다니요?!). In such cases, the emotional content is implied through context and intonation. The key characteristic of ~다니 is that it always signals a reaction to newly received information—something the speaker has just heard, discovered, or realized.친구가 결혼한다니 믿을 수가 없어요.(I can’t believe my friend is getting married.) Here,결혼한다니(getting married) is the surprising news, leading to the reaction믿을 수가 없어요(I can’t believe it).네가 그 어려운 시험에 합격했다니 정말 대단하다!(To think you passed that difficult exam, that’s truly amazing!) The news합격했다니(passed) elicits admiration.벌써 마감일이라니 시간이 정말 빨리 가네요.(To think it’s already the deadline, time really flies.) This shows a mild surprise mixed with a reflective observation.
~다니 allows for flexibility across different time frames, meaning you can express surprise about events that happened in the past, are currently happening, or are planned for the future. This adaptability makes it a powerful tool for conveying your immediate, often spontaneous, emotional engagement with unfolding information.Formation Pattern
~다니 depends on the part of speech (verb, adjective, noun) and the tense of the statement you are reacting to. It attaches to the plain, declarative form of the predicate.
~다니 Conjugation | Example (가다 - to go, 먹다 - to eat) |
-ㄴ다 (가다 → 간다)Consonant stem: -는다 (먹다 → 먹는다) | -ㄴ다니 / -는다니 | 간다니 (to think you’re going)먹는다니 (to think they’re eating) |
-았다/-었다 (갔다, 먹었다) | -았다니/-었다니 | 갔다니 (to think they went)먹었다니 (to think they ate) |
-겠다 / -(으)ㄹ 것이다 | -겠다니 / -(으)ㄹ 거라니 | 가겠다니 (to think they will go)갈 거라니 (to think they will go) |
네가 나를 도와준다니 고맙다. (To think you'd help me, thank you.)
~다니 Conjugation | Example (예쁘다 - to be pretty, 좋다 - to be good) |
-다 (예쁘다, 좋다) | -다니 | 예쁘다니 (to think it's pretty)좋다니 (to think it's good) |
-았다/-었다 (예뻤다, 좋았다) | -았다니/-었다니 | 예뻤다니 (to think it was pretty)좋았다니 (to think it was good) |
-겠다 / -(으)ㄹ 것이다 | -겠다니 / -(으)ㄹ 거라니 | 예쁘겠다니 (to think it will be pretty)좋을 거라니 (to think it will be good) |
날씨가 벌써 이렇게 춥다니 믿을 수가 없어. (To think the weather is already this cold, I can’t believe it.)
~다니 Conjugation | Example (학생 - student, 의사 - doctor) |
-이다 (학생이다)Vowel-final: -다 (의사다) | -이라니 / -라니 | 학생이라니 (to think they are a student)의사라니 (to think they are a doctor) |
-이었다/-였다 (학생이었다, 의사였다) | -이었다니/-였다니 | 학생이었다니 (to think they were a student)의사였다니 (to think they were a doctor) |
-(으)ㄹ 것이다 (학생일 것이다) | -(으)ㄹ 거라니 | 학생일 거라니 (to think they will be a student) |
네가 교수님이라니 정말 놀랍다. (To think you're a professor, that's truly surprising.)
~다니요
~요 to ~다니. This form is frequently used to politely challenge or express disbelief about something just said.
김 대리가 사표를 냈다니요?! (Mr. Kim resigned?! - polite and surprised)
When To Use It
~다니 is deployed when you encounter information that significantly deviates from your expectations, prompting a strong emotional response. Its versatility lies in its ability to convey a wide spectrum of feelings, always rooted in the idea of “I can’t believe (that X is true).”그가 범인이라니 말도 안 돼요.(To think he’s the culprit, that’s absurd/unbelievable.)전쟁이 일어났다니 너무 충격적이야.(To think a war broke out, it's so shocking.)
네가 혼자서 이걸 다 해냈다니 정말 대단하다.(To think you did all this by yourself, that's truly amazing.)이렇게 짧은 시간 안에 프로젝트를 끝냈다니 놀라워요.(To think they finished the project in such a short time, it’s astonishing.)
~다니 frames the negative feeling.그녀가 떠난다니 너무 슬퍼요.(To think she’s leaving, I’m so sad.)기회가 사라졌다니 아쉽습니다.(To think the opportunity disappeared, it's regrettable.)
벌써 돈을 다 썼다니 한심하다.(To think you've already spent all the money, how pathetic.)또 고장났다니 정말 짜증 나.(To think it broke down again, it’s really annoying.)
그 복잡한 문제를 그렇게 쉽게 풀었다니 천재인 것 같아요.(To think they solved that complex problem so easily, they must be a genius.)신입사원이 벌써 이렇게 잘한다니 정말 기대돼요.(To think a new employee is already doing so well, I have high hopes.)
~다니 is especially effective in situations where you want to emphasize the impact of the information on you, making your response more emotionally resonant than a simple declarative statement. It implies a processing of the new information and an immediate, often visceral, internal reaction.Common Mistakes
~다니 by confusing it with other grammatical structures or using it in inappropriate contexts. Avoiding these common pitfalls will significantly enhance your naturalness.~다고): This is the most frequent error. ~다고 is purely for reporting what someone said or thought, without necessarily conveying surprise or emotion. ~다니, however, injects the speaker's emotional reaction to the reported content.- Incorrect:
친구가 밥 먹는다니.(If you mean
Formation of ~다니
| Tense | Verb/Adj | Formation |
|---|---|---|
|
Present
|
가다
|
간다니
|
|
Present
|
예쁘다
|
예쁘다니
|
|
Past
|
먹다
|
먹었다니
|
|
Past
|
좋았다
|
좋았다니
|
|
Noun
|
학생
|
학생이라니
|
Meanings
This pattern is used to express surprise, disbelief, or emotional reaction to a fact or situation.
Pure Shock
Expressing disbelief at a surprising fact.
“그가 거짓말을 했다니!”
“벌써 겨울이라니!”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Present
|
Stem + 다니
|
간다니!
|
|
Past
|
Stem + 았/었다니
|
갔다니!
|
|
Noun
|
Noun + (이)라니
|
거짓말이라니!
|
|
Adjective
|
Stem + 다니
|
춥다니!
|
Formality Spectrum
비가 오다니요! (Weather surprise)
비가 오다니! (Weather surprise)
비가 오다니! (Weather surprise)
비 실화냐? (Weather surprise)
Usage of ~다니
Emotional
- 놀라움 Surprise
- 황당함 Absurdity
Examples by Level
비가 오다니!
I can't believe it's raining!
맛있다니!
I can't believe it's delicious!
춥다니!
I can't believe it's cold!
가다니!
I can't believe you are going!
그가 오다니 믿을 수 없어요.
I can't believe he came.
시험이 어렵다니!
I can't believe the test is hard!
벌써 12시라니!
I can't believe it's already 12!
그녀가 울다니.
I can't believe she is crying.
그가 나를 속였다니 정말 화가 나요.
I'm so angry that he deceived me.
이런 일이 일어나다니 믿기지 않아요.
I can't believe this happened.
그가 사과했다니 놀라워요.
I'm surprised he apologized.
우리가 1등이라니!
I can't believe we are in first place!
그토록 열심히 준비했는데 떨어졌다니 허탈하네요.
I feel empty that I failed after preparing so hard.
그가 그런 말을 했다니 믿을 수가 없군요.
I cannot believe he said such a thing.
벌써 프로젝트가 끝났다니 믿기지 않습니다.
I can't believe the project is already finished.
그가 다시 돌아오다니 정말 다행이에요.
It's such a relief that he returned.
그가 그토록 오만하게 행동했다니 실망스럽기 그지없습니다.
I am beyond disappointed that he acted so arrogantly.
이런 비극적인 소식을 듣게 되다니 마음이 아프네요.
It breaks my heart to hear such tragic news.
그가 이 모든 것을 혼자 해냈다니 놀라울 따름입니다.
I am simply amazed that he accomplished all this alone.
그녀가 그런 결정을 내렸다니 이해할 수가 없네요.
I cannot fathom why she made such a decision.
그가 그토록 오랜 세월을 침묵으로 일관했다니, 경악을 금치 못하겠군요.
I am utterly shocked that he remained silent for so many years.
그가 그 제안을 거절했다니, 도무지 납득이 가질 않습니다.
I cannot comprehend why he rejected that proposal.
이런 시대착오적인 발상을 하다니, 정말 어이가 없네요.
I am dumbfounded that he would have such an anachronistic idea.
그가 우리를 배신했다니, 참담한 심정입니다.
I am devastated that he betrayed us.
Easily Confused
Both use '다'.
Common Mistakes
그가 가다니.
그가 갔다니!
그것은 사실이다니.
그게 사실이라니!
나는 놀랐다니.
놀랍다니!
그가 했다니요.
그가 했다니!
Sentence Patterns
___ (이)라니 믿을 수 없어요.
Real World Usage
벌써 도착했다니!
The Response Trick
~다니요? to make it a polite question or challenge.Not Just Negative
Watch Your Tone
~다니요? can sometimes sound aggressive if your tone is too sharp. Use a 'surprised' rising intonation to keep it friendly.Smart Tips
Use ~다니.
Pronunciation
Intonation
Rising intonation at the end to emphasize shock.
Surprise
갔다니↗
High pitch to show disbelief
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Da-ni' as 'Darn it!' - when you are shocked, you say 'Darn it!'
Visual Association
Imagine a person with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, holding a sign that says '다니!'
Rhyme
When you're in shock, use ~다니, it's the best way to be uncanny.
Story
Min-su heard his friend won the lottery. He shouted, 'You won? You won? 당첨됐다니!' He couldn't believe his ears.
Word Web
Challenge
For the next 5 minutes, react to every piece of news you hear with a sentence ending in ~다니.
Cultural Notes
Koreans use this to build rapport by sharing emotional reactions.
Derived from the retrospective marker ~다 and the noun-modifying form.
Conversation Starters
오늘 날씨가 정말 덥죠?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
그가 ___ (가다)!
Score: /1
Practice Exercises
1 exercises그가 ___ (가다)!
Score: /1
Practice Bank
6 exercises겨울인데 이렇게 (____) 믿기지 않아요.
그가 (____) 정말 놀랐어요.
그들이 (____) 슬퍼요.
빠르네요 / 10월이라니 / 시간이 / 벌써 / 정말
벌써 끝났다니 아쉬워요.
Choose the logical sentence:
Score: /6
FAQ (1)
No, it is too emotional.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
¡No puedo creer que...!
Spanish uses subjunctive.
Je n'arrive pas à croire que...
French is a full sentence.
Ich kann nicht glauben, dass...
German uses subordinate clauses.
～なんて
Japanese uses a particle.
لا أصدق أن...
Arabic uses a verb phrase.
没想到...
Chinese is a verb phrase.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
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