Overview
The V+(는/ㄴ)다고 grammar pattern is a fundamental way to indirectly quote or report a declarative statement in Korean. It allows you to convey what someone said as a fact or opinion without using their exact words. This form is essential for recounting conversations, sharing information, or expressing what you've heard from others.
Usage
This expression is attached to the stem of an action verb to report a present tense declarative statement. It functions similarly to "said that..." or "reported that..." in English.
- It is used when you are relaying information that was previously stated by another person (or even yourself, in some contexts).
- The original statement was a simple declarative sentence (e.g., "I go," "He eats").
- While often followed by a reporting verb like 말하다 (to speak/say), 하다 (to do/say), 묻다 (to ask), or 생각하다 (to think), it can also stand alone when the context makes the reporting clear.
- It adds a nuance of simply reporting the content of the speech, rather than emphasizing the act of speaking itself.
Conjugation Rules
The conjugation for V+(는/ㄴ)다고 depends on the ending of the action verb stem in the present tense:
-
Action Verb Stem ending in a Vowel: Attach -ㄴ다고
- 가다 (to go) + ㄴ다고 → 간다고 (He says he goes/is going)
- 오다 (to come) + ㄴ다고 → 온다고 (She says she comes/is coming)
- 하다 (to do) + ㄴ다고 → 한다고 (They say they do/are doing)
-
Action Verb Stem ending in a Consonant: Attach -는다고
- 먹다 (to eat) + 는다고 → 먹는다고 (He says he eats/is eating)
- 읽다 (to read) + 는다고 → 읽는다고 (She says she reads/is reading)
-
Action Verb Stem ending in ㄹ (Irregular): The ㄹ drops, and then -ㄴ다고 is attached.
- 만들다 (to make) + ㄴ다고 → 만든다고 (He says he makes/is making)
- 살다 (to live) + ㄴ다고 → 산다고 (She says she lives/is living)
Important Note on Other Tenses and Verb Types (for completeness):
While V+(는/ㄴ)다고 specifically targets present tense action verbs, it's useful to know how other forms are quoted:
- Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives) (Present Tense): A + 다고 (e.g., 예쁘다 → 예쁘다고, 좋다 → 좋다고)
- Past Tense (Action/Descriptive Verbs): V/A + 았/었다고 (e.g., 갔다 → 갔다고, 먹었다 → 먹었다고, 예뻤다 → 예뻤다고)
- Future Tense / Conjecture (Action/Descriptive Verbs): V/A + (으)ㄹ 거라고 (e.g., 갈 것이다 → 갈 거라고, 먹을 것이다 → 먹을 거라고)
- Nouns + 이다 (Present Tense): N + (이)라고 (e.g., 학생이다 → 학생이라고, 의사이다 → 의사라고)
Knowledge Plus
- Shortened Forms: In casual speech, V+(는/ㄴ)다고 해요 is often shortened to V+(는/ㄴ)대요. For example, 간다고 해요 becomes 간대요, 먹는다고 해요 becomes 먹는대요.
- Reporting vs. Direct Quotation: This form is for indirect quotation, meaning you are paraphrasing or summarizing what was said. For direct quotation, you would use "..."라고 (말)했어요.
- Implied Reporting Verb: Often, the reporting verb (like 말하다 or 하다) is omitted if the context makes it clear that the speaker is reporting something. For example, "비가 온다고" (It's said that it's raining) implies "비가 온다고 (말했어요/들었어요)."
- Contrast with Other Quotation Forms: Remember that Korean has different indirect quotation forms for different sentence types:
- Declarative: V+(는/ㄴ)다고
- Interrogative (Questions): V+(느)냐고 / V+(으)냐고
- Imperative (Commands): V+(으)라고
- Propositive (Suggestions): V+자고