Indirect Speech in Korean — How to Report What Someone Said

Why It''s Essential for Real Conversations

Whenever you want to say "he said that...," "she thinks that...," you need indirect speech.

The 4 Forms

1. Statement: ~다고 하다

맛있다고 했어요 — He said it was good

2. Question: ~냐고 하다

뭐 하냐고 물어봤어요 — He asked what I was doing

3. Command: ~(으)라고 하다

가라고 했어요 — He told me to go

4. Suggestion: ~자고 하다

같이 가자고 했어요 — He suggested going together

Shortened Forms (Spoken Korean)

~다고 해요 → ~대요 (much more common in daily speech)

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