🗣️ Indirect Speech in Korean (Reported Speech)
Want to say “He said he was busy” or “She asked if I ate”? That’s indirect speech — and Korean has a very specific way of handling it. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use reported speech naturally, with examples for statements, questions, and commands.
📚 Table of Contents
1. What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect (reported) speech is used when you're reporting what someone else said, thought, or asked — without quoting them directly.
In Korean, this is often done using 다고 하다, 냐고 하다, 자고 하다, 라고 하다 depending on the sentence type.
2. Core Grammar Patterns
❓ Question: –냐고 하다
👉 Request/Command: –라고 하다 / –자고 하다
- Declarative: 간다고 했어요. (“He said he’s going.”)
- Question: 어디 가냐고 물었어요. (“She asked where I’m going.”)
- Command: 앉으라고 했어요. (“They told me to sit.”)
- Suggestion: 같이 가자고 했어요. (“He suggested going together.”)
3. Real-Life Examples
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한국어: 그는 오늘 못 온다고 했어요.
발음: geu-neun o-neul mot on-da-go hae-sseo-yo
영어: He said he can’t come today. -
한국어: 엄마가 밥 먹었냐고 물었어요.
발음: eom-ma-ga bap meo-geo-ssnya-go mu-reo-sseo-yo
영어: My mom asked if I had eaten. -
한국어: 선생님이 조용히 하라고 하셨어요.
발음: seon-saeng-nim-i jo-yong-hi ha-ra-go ha-syeo-sseo-yo
영어: The teacher told us to be quiet.
4. Tips for Natural Use
- 말하다 and 물어보다 are often interchangeable with 하다 in casual use.
- In daily speech, people sometimes drop “고 해요” and just say “–대요,” “–냬요,” “–래요,” etc. (colloquial)
- Don’t forget to adjust tense: 가요 → 간다고, 먹었어요 → 먹었다고
5. 🤔 Did you know?
In Korean, indirect speech is often used even when the speaker is present — to be polite or less confrontational. For example, instead of “You said that,” someone might say “OO 씨가 그렇게 말했대요” (I heard OO said that) to soften the tone.
It’s part of Korean communication culture — being indirect shows respect and avoids embarrassment.
6. Practice with Me on italki
👉 Book a lesson with me on italki and practice making sentences with real feedback!
