Level 5 Lesson 17 - -(ㄴ/는)다는, -(ㄴ/는)다고

In this lesson, we take a look at the verb ending -(ㄴ/는)다는 and -(ㄴ/는)다고. Before we go on and explain this, however, it would be a good idea to briefly review some of the previously introduced verb endings that are related to this.

Level 5 Lesson 10: NOUN + -(이)라고 + VERB related to speaking or communication

Ex)
NOUN + -(이)라고 + 말하다 = to say that something is NOUN, to say “NOUN”
NOUN + -(이)라고 + 쓰다 = to write that something is NOUN, to write down “NOUN”

Level 5 Lesson 12: NOUN + -(이)라는 + NOUN

Ex)
NOUN + -(이)라는 + 사람 = a person who says he is NOUN, a person who’s called NOUN
NOUN + -(이)라는 + 곳 = a place that’s called NOUN

Level 5 Lesson 16: VERB + -(ㄴ/는)다

Ex)
가다 (= to go) → 나 먼저 간다. (= Hey, I’m going to go.)
먹다 (= to eat) → 나 이거 먹는다. (= Hey, I’m going to eat this.)
오다 (= to come) → 전화 온다. (= Hey, the phone is ringing.)

And the verb ending we are introducing in this lesson is a COMBINATION of -(이)라고 and -(ㄴ/는)다.

The “NOUN + -(이)라고 + VERB” structure is used when you want to say “(they) say that (something is) + NOUN”. And when you want to say “(they) say that (something) + VERB”, you change “라" to “다".

NOUN + -라고  → VERB + -다고

But this is not it. In order to change a verb into the -다고 form, you need to use the narrative form, which we introduced in the previous lesson.

NOUN + -(이)라고 + 말하다/하다/쓰다/적다/부르다/etc
VERB + -(ㄴ/는)다고 + 말하다/하다/쓰다/적다/부르다/etc

(* 말하다 = to say / 하다 = to say / 쓰다 = to write / 적다 = to write down / 부르다 = to call)

Examples

- Combined with 말하다 (= to say)

Action Verbs
가다 → 간다고 말하다 (= to say that someone is going, to say that someone will go)
보다 → 본다고 말하다 (= to say that someone sees something, to say that someone is going to see something)

Decriptive Verbs
좋다 → 좋다고 말하다 (= to say that something is good)
크다 → 크다고 말하다 (= to say that something is big)

- Combined with 듣다 (= to hear)

Action Verbs
오다 → 온다고 듣다 (= to hear that something/someone is coming)
먹다 → 먹는다고 듣다 (= to hear that someone is eating something)

Descriptive Verbs
비싸다 → 비싸다고 듣다 (= to hear that something is expensive)
맛있다 → 맛있다고 듣다 (= to hear that something is delicious)

Sample Sentences (of both -(이)라고 and -(ㄴ/는)다고)
1. 뭐라고 했어요?
[mwo-ra-go hae-sseo-yo?]
= What did you say?

2. 전화 온다고 했어요.
[jeon-hwa on-da-go hae-sseo-yo.]
= I said that your phone is ringing.

3. 그 사람이 내일 온다고 해요.
[geu sa-ra-mi nae-il on-da-go hae-yo.]
= He says that he will come tomorrow.

4. 그 사람이 언제 온다고 했어요?
[geu sa-ra-mi eon-je on-da-go hae-sseo-yo?]
= When did he say he would come?

5. 그 사람이 이거 뭐라고 했어요?
[geu sa-ra-mi i-geo mwo-ra-go hae-sseo-yo?]
= What did he say this was?

6. 한국은 겨울에 정말 춥다고 들었어요.
[han-gu-geun gyeo-u-re jeong-mal chup-da-go deu-reo-sseo-yo.]
= I heard that it’s very cold in winter in Korea.

7. 여기에 뭐라고 써야 돼요?
[yeo-gi-e mwo-ra-go sseo-ya dwae-yo?]
= What should I write here?

8. TTMIK이 좋다고 쓰세요.
[TTMIK-i jo-ta-go sseu-se-yo.]
= Write that TTMIK is good.

9. 저도 간다고 말해 주세요.
[jeo-do gan-da-go ma-rae ju-se-yo.]
= Please tell them that I am going to go, too.

10. 이거 재미있다고 들었어요.
[i-geo jae-mi-it-da-go deu-reo-sseo-yo.]
= I heard that this is fun.

** Bonus Sample Sentences (using -(ㄴ/는)다는 before nouns)

11. TTMIK이 재미있다는 이야기를 들었어요.
[TTMIK-i jae-mi-it-da-neun i-ya-gi-reul deu-reo-sseo-yo.]
= I heard (a story that) someone (was) saying that TTMIK is fun.

12. 저도 간다는 메시지를 남겼어요.
[jeo-do gan-da-neun me-si-ji-reul nam-gyeo-sseo-yo.]
= I left a message saying that that I would go too.

13. 한국어를 공부한다는 내용이에요.
[han-gu-geo-reul gong-bu-han-da-neun nae-yong-i-e-yo.]
= It’s a story/content that (someone) is studying Korean.

14. 경은 씨가 제주도에 간다는 이야기를 들었어요.
[gyeong-eun ssi-ga je-ju-do-e gan-da-neun i-ya-gi-reul deu-reo-sseo-yo.]
= I heard (a story that) someone (was) saying that Gyeong-eun was going to Jeju Island.

15. 지금 간다는 사람이 없어요.
[ji-geum gan-da-neun sa-ra-mi eop-seo-yo.]
= There is no one that says that they will go.