KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -다고 하다
Korean Grammar “-다고 하다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 4)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 본다고 하다 | bondago hada |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽는다고 하다 | ingneundago hada |
| 하다 | to do | 한다고 하다 | handago hada |
| 살다 | to live | 산다고 하다 | sandago hada |
What changes
- For verbs, a stem ending in a vowel takes ㄴ다고 (보 → 본다고), a stem ending in a consonant takes 는다고 (읽 → 읽는다고), and a stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ (살 → 산다고).
Explanation
친구가 내일 시험이 있다고 해요.
“-다고 하다” is indirect speech for statements: add “-ㄴ/는다고” or “-다고” to the stem, and 있다 becomes 있다고. The sentence means “My friend says they have an exam tomorrow.” The ending changes with sentence type: “-자고” for suggestions, “-냐고” for questions, “-(으)라고” for commands.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 친구가 내일 시험이 있다고 해요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 친구가 | ||
| 친 | ㅊ+ㅣ+ㄴ | chin |
| 구 | ㄱ+ㅜ | gu |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 내일 | ||
| 내 | ㄴ+ㅐ | nae |
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 시험이 | ||
| 시 | ㅅ+ㅣ | si |
| 험 | ㅎ+ㅓ+ㅁ | [허] heo |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [미] mi |
| 있다고 | ||
| 있 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅆ | [읻] it |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | [따] da |
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 해요 | ||
| 해 | ㅎ+ㅐ | hae |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 험이 → [허미]
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 있다 → [읻따]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 하다 | verb | to do | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 친구가 내일 시험이 ____ 해요.
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Answer: 친구가 내일 시험이 있다고 해요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -다고 하다?
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Answer: 본다고 하다
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -다고 하다?
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Answer: 읽는다고 하다
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