Hearsay -다고 하다 / -대요 in Korean

전달 표현

This article is part of the Korean grammar tree on Settemila Lingue.

Overview

The hearsay pattern is a contracted form of indirect quotation, used at the CEFR B1 level to report what you have heard without personal verification. -다고 해요 contracts to -대요, -라고 해요 contracts to -래요, and so on. These short forms are extremely common in everyday Korean conversation for sharing news, gossip, and secondhand information.

How It Works

Full form	Contraction	Type
-다고 해요	-대요	statement
-(이)라고 해요	-(이)래요	noun/quote
-냐고 해요	-냬요	question
-(으)라고 해요	-(으)래요	command
-자고 해요	-재요	suggestion

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
내일 비가 온대요.	nae-il bi-ga on-dae-yo	I heard it'll rain tomorrow.	hearsay
그 영화 재미있대요.	geu yeong-hwa jae-mi-it-dae-yo	They say that movie is fun.	recommendation
안 간다고 해요.	an gan-da-go hae-yo	He says he won't go.	full form
벌써 도착했대요.	beol-sseo do-cha-kaet-dae-yo	I heard he already arrived.	past hearsay
내일 오래요.	nae-il o-rae-yo	(He told me) to come tomorrow.	command report
같이 가재요.	ga-chi ga-jae-yo	(She) suggests going together.	suggestion report
맛있대요.	ma-sit-dae-yo	I heard it's delicious.	recommendation
학생이래요.	hak-saeng-i-rae-yo	I heard he's a student.	noun hearsay

Common Mistakes

Confusing -대요 with -데요 (retrospective)

Wrong: Using -대요 and -데요 interchangeably
Right: -대요 = hearsay (I heard); -데요 = retrospective (I noticed/it was)
Why: 맛있대요 (I heard it's delicious) vs. 맛있데요 (I found it was delicious).

Not adjusting tense inside the quotation

Wrong: 갔대요 (for "he says he will go")
Right: 간대요 (present: says he's going) or 갔대요 (past: I heard he went)
Why: The tense inside the quotation reflects when the reported event happens, not when the reporting occurs.

Usage Notes

Hearsay forms are the backbone of Korean gossip and information sharing. They allow speakers to convey information without taking personal responsibility for its truth. In casual speech, these forms are used constantly. In formal contexts, the full forms (-다고 합니다) are preferred. Korean news also uses these patterns for attribution.