V+자고

Overview

The V+자고 ending is a crucial component of Korean indirect speech, specifically used for reporting or quoting suggestions made by others. It transforms a direct suggestion (like "Let's eat!") into a reported statement ("He suggested that we eat.").

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Usage

You use V+자고 when you want to tell someone what another person suggested. The original suggestion would have been in the form of V+자 (e.g., "우리 밥 먹자!" - Let's eat!). When you report this, you attach 자고 to the verb stem of the original suggestion, typically followed by a verb like 하다 (to say/do), 말하다 (to speak), or 이야기하다 (to talk).

For example, if your friend said, "우리 주말에 등산 가자!" (Let's go hiking this weekend!), you would report it as: "친구가 주말에 등산 가자고 했어요." (My friend suggested that we go hiking this weekend.)

This structure clearly indicates that the suggestion originated from someone else and you are merely relaying it. It's essential for distinguishing between making a suggestion yourself and reporting one.

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Conjugation Rules

The conjugation for V+자고 is straightforward:

Simply attach 자고 directly to the verb stem, regardless of whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.

• Verb stem ending in a vowel:
  • 가다 (to go) -> 가 + 자고 -> 가자고
  • 보다 (to see) -> 보 + 자고 -> 보자고
• Verb stem ending in a consonant:
  • 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹 + 자고 -> 먹자고
  • 읽다 (to read) -> 읽 + 자고 -> 읽자고

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Knowledge Plus

• Common Reporting Verbs: While 하다 is the most common verb used after V+자고 (e.g., V+자고 하다), you can also use other verbs like 말하다 (to say), 이야기하다 (to talk), 제안하다 (to propose/suggest), or 권유하다 (to recommend/advise).
  • 친구가 영화 보자고 말했어요. (My friend said to watch a movie.)
  • 선생님이 숙제를 같이 하자고 제안하셨어요. (The teacher proposed that we do homework together.)
• Distinction from V+자: Remember that V+자 is a direct suggestion (e.g., "Let's go!"), whereas V+자고 is used to report that suggestion (e.g., "He suggested we go.").
• Subject of the Suggestion: The subject of the suggestion (who is doing the 'let's') is usually clear from context or explicitly stated. If you are reporting your own past suggestion, you would still use V+자고 하다:
  • 제가 친구들에게 같이 저녁 먹자고 했어요. (I suggested to my friends that we eat dinner together.)