Reported Commands/Requests in Korean

Overview

Reporting commands and requests at the CEFR B2 level uses specific quotation patterns. Commands are reported with -(으)라고 하다, negative commands with -지 말라고 하다, and requests (where the speaker benefits) with -달라고 하다. This distinction between -(으)라고 and -달라고 is uniquely Korean.

How It Works

Type	Pattern	Example
Command	-(으)라고 하다	가라고 했어요 (told to go)
Negative command	-지 말라고 하다	가지 말라고 했어요 (told not to go)
Request (for speaker)	-달라고 하다	도와달라고 했어요 (asked to help me)

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
빨리 오라고 했어요.	ppal-li o-ra-go hae-sseo-yo	Told to come quickly.	command
걱정하지 말라고 했어요.	geok-jeong-ha-ji mal-la-go hae-sseo-yo	Told not to worry.	negative command
도와달라고 했어요.	do-wa-dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo	Asked to help (me).	request
기다려 달라고 했어요.	gi-da-ryeo dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo	Asked to wait (for me).	request
조용히 하라고 했어요.	jo-yong-hi ha-ra-go hae-sseo-yo	Told to be quiet.	command
사진 찍어 달라고 했어요.	sa-jin jji-geo dal-la-go hae-sseo-yo	Asked to take a photo (for me).	request

Common Mistakes

Confusing -(으)라고 and -달라고

• Wrong: 도와라고 했어요 (told to help — who benefits?)
• Right: 도와달라고 했어요 (asked to help me — speaker benefits)
• Why: -(으)라고 reports a general command; -달라고 reports a request where the speaker is the beneficiary.

Forgetting to adjust verb forms in reported speech

• Wrong: 오세요라고 했어요 (using polite form inside quote)
• Right: 오라고 했어요 (plain command form inside quote)
• Why: Indirect quotation always uses the plain form, never polite or formal endings inside the quote.

Mixing up -달라고 with -주라고

• Wrong: 도와주라고 했어요 (when asking someone to help the speaker)
• Right: 도와달라고 했어요 (asked to help me)
• Why: -달라고 specifically indicates the speaker is the beneficiary of the request. -주라고 would mean ordering someone to help a third party.

Usage Notes

This three-way distinction (command / negative command / request) is important for nuanced communication in Korean. -달라고 implies "please do it for me," making it inherently more personal and humble than -(으)라고. In casual speech, these forms contract: -래요 (command report), -지 말래요 (negative command report), -달래요 (request report). These contracted forms are extremely common in everyday conversation.

In workplace contexts, reporting what a superior said uses the command pattern: 부장님이 보고서 제출하라고 했어요 (The manager told us to submit the report). For requests where you benefit, -달라고 is natural: 친구에게 공항에 데려다 달라고 했어요 (I asked my friend to take me to the airport).

Usage Notes

This three-way distinction (command/negative command/request) is important for nuanced communication. -달라고 implies "please do it for me," making it inherently more personal. In casual speech, these contract: -래요 (command), -지 말래요 (don't), -달래요 (request).

Practice Tips

• Report instructions from daily life: 선생님이 숙제하라고 했어요. 의사가 운동하라고 했어요.
• Practice the -달라고 pattern for requests: 친구가 도와달라고 했어요.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Indirect Quotation -다고/냐고/라고 — base quotation system