Rumor has it

This pattern is used to report information that you've heard from someone else. It's equivalent to saying "I heard that...", "They say that...", or "Rumor has it..." in English.

Structure

The pattern is a combination of two grammatical forms:

-다고 하다: The standard indirect quotation form ("to say that...").

-더라: A sentence ending that expresses the speaker's recollection of a past observation or experience. In this case, you're recalling the act of hearing the information.

Formation

The conjugation depends on the type of word being quoted.

Nouns: Attach -(이)라고 하더라.

Vowel-ending noun: 의사 → 의사라고 하더라 (I heard he's a doctor.)

Consonant-ending noun: 맛집 → 맛집이라고 하더라 (I heard this is a great restaurant.)

Adjectives: Attach -다고 하더라 to the adjective stem.

어렵다 → 어렵다고 하더라 (I heard it's difficult.)

멀다 → 멀다고 하더라 (I heard it's far.)

Action Verbs: Attach -ㄴ/는다고 하더라 to the verb stem.

사귀다 → 사귄다고 하더라 (I heard they are dating.)

여기가 맛집이라고 하더라. / 이번 시험 어렵다고 하더라. / 둘이 사귄다고 하더라.

This pattern is similar to other forms used for reporting information, but with subtle differences in nuance.

vs. -다고 들었다

-다고 들었다 literally means "I heard that..." and focuses on the simple fact of having received the information. It's a neutral and direct way to state what you've heard.

-다고 하더라 has a more conversational and retrospective nuance. The -더라 ending implies you are recalling the memory of hearing the news. While often interchangeable, -다고 하더라 feels a bit more like sharing a piece of news or gossip you just remembered.

vs. -대/-래

-대/-래 is a very common colloquial contraction of -다고 해 / -(이)라고 해. It's a simple and quick way to report hearsay in casual conversation.

어렵다고 하더라 → 어렵대 (I hear it's difficult.)