Learn how to report what someone said in Korean using -다고, -냐고, -라고, and -자고, with tables covering statements, questions, commands, and suggestions.
Reporting what someone else said — "she said she would come," "he asked if I was busy" — requires a specific set of Korean endings depending on whether the original sentence was a statement, question, command, or suggestion.
Attach -다고 to a verb/adjective stem (in its plain form) to report a statement.
| Original statement | Reported form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "가요" (I go) | 간다고 했어요 | (S/he) said (s/he) goes |
| "좋아요" (It's good) | 좋다고 했어요 | (S/he) said it's good |
| "학생이에요" (I'm a student) | 학생이라고 했어요 | (S/he) said (s/he) is a student |
Attach -냐고 to report someone's question.
| Original question | Reported form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "가요?" (Are you going?) | 가냐고 했어요 | (S/he) asked if (I) was going |
| "바빠요?" (Are you busy?) | 바쁘냐고 물어봤어요 | (S/he) asked if (I) was busy |
Attach -라고 to report a command or instruction.
| Original command | Reported form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "가세요" (Please go) | 가라고 했어요 | (S/he) told (me) to go |
| "기다리세요" (Please wait) | 기다리라고 했어요 | (S/he) told (me) to wait |
Attach -자고 to report a "let's" suggestion.
| Original suggestion | Reported form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "가자" (Let's go) | 가자고 했어요 | (S/he) suggested going |
| "먹자" (Let's eat) | 먹자고 했어요 | (S/he) suggested eating |
In everyday speech, these forms often shorten: -다고 해요 becomes -대요, -냐고 해요 becomes -냬요, -라고 해요 becomes -래요, and -자고 해요 becomes -재요. You will hear these contractions constantly in natural conversation.
Do I always need to say who said it? No — the subject is often dropped when clear from context, just like in many other Korean sentences.
Is there a difference between 하다 and 그러다 in these patterns? 그러다 (to do so) can sometimes replace 하다 for variety, but 하다 is the standard, always-safe choice for learners.
Reported speech connects grammar directly to real gossip, storytelling, and retelling conversations — exactly the kind of practical skill Klovers builds through live speaking practice.