Intermediate 1 > Lesson 4

Lesson 4. Indirect Quotation Ending : -대요/(이)래요/(으)래요/냬요/재요

 

As learnt earlier, Indirect Quotation markers are used as follows:

 

A. For Plain Sentences:

  1. PRESENT TENSE

– Sub + Obj + Verb+ㄴ/는다고 했어요                                                    – 대요

– Sub + Obj + Adjective+다고 했어요             These can be abbreviated as =  – 대요

– Sub + Obj + Noun+(이)라고 했어요                                                        – (이)래요

 

  1. PAST TENSE
  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 았/었 + 다고 했어요 abbreviated as =  – 대요

 

  1. FUTURE TENSE
  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + ㄹ/을 거 + 라고 했어요 abbreviated as =  – 래요

 

    B. For Question Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 냐고 했어요 (present)
  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 았/었 + 냐고 했어요 (past)   abbreviated as =  – 냬요
  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective /Noun이다 + ㄹ/을 거 + 냐고 했어요 (future)

 

    C. For Imperative Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb +(으)라고 했어요 abbreviated as =  – (으)래요

 

    D. For Invitation Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb+자고 했어요 abbreviated as =  – 재요

 

So, Quotation Endings are:

   A. For Plain Sentences:

  1. PRESENT TENSE

– Sub + Obj + Verb+ㄴ/는대요

Ex. 지수가 서울에 산 대 = I hear that Jisoo lives in Seoul.

– Sub + Obj + Adjective+대요

Ex. 엄마가 바쁘대요 = I heard that mom is busy.

– Sub + Obj + Noun+(이)래요

Ex. 언니가 스무살이래요 = My sister says she is 20 years old.

 

  1. PAST TENSE

– Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 았/었+대요

Ex. 아빠가 이미 저녁을 먹었대요 = Dad said he already had dinner.

 

  1. FUTURE TENSE
  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + ㄹ/을 거+래요

Ex. 아빠가 한 시간 후에 잘 거래요 = Dad said he will go to sleep an hour later.

 

   B. For Question Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 냬요 (present)

Ex. 친구가 저한테 한국 음식을 좋아하냬요 = My friend asked if I like Korean food.

  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective/Noun이다 + 았/었냬요 (past)

Ex. 엄마는 제가 시험을 잘 봤냬요 = Mom asked if I did well on the test.

  • Sub + Obj + Verb/Adjective /Noun이다 + ㄹ/을 거냬요 (future)

Ex. 지수가 몇 시에 학교에 올 거냬요 = Jisoo asked me what time I’ll come to school.

 

    C. For Imperative Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb + (으)래요

Ex. 엄마가 저한테 여섯시까지 집에 오래요 = Mom told me to come home by 6PM.

 

    D. For Invitation Sentences:

  • Sub + Obj + Verb + 재요

Ex. 친구가 이제 집에 가재요 = My friend said let’s go home now.

 

*Note that the above endings can only be used for what somebody else said and never for what “I” i.e. the speaker has said. However, they can be used in sentences like “I heard…” as it is still someone else who has said the thing that the speaker has heard. But even in that case, you cannot use these endings with “I” as its main subject.

 

*

When quoting in Past tense, 대요, 래요, 냬요, 재요 can all also be interchanged with their Past forms i.e. 댔어요, 랬어요, 넀어요, 쟀어요, respectively.

Ex. 언니는 제가 노래를 못 한대요 = 언니는 제가 노래를 못 한댔어요.

      (=My sister said that I am a terrible singer.)

 

However, they are not interchangeable in cases when -대요 ending means something that isn’t said by someone in particular but spoken in general or is a universal truth. Here, only 대요 can be used and not 댔어요.

Ex. 외국어 공부는 어렵다고 해요 = 외국어 공부는 어렵대요.

(They say that/It is said that studying foreign languages is difficult.)