HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 11 · LESSON 96

-대요 / -래요 / -냬요 / -재요They say… / They asked… / They told me to…

In conversation, Koreans shorten reported speech: -다고 해요 → -대요, -(이)라고 해요 → -(이)래요, -(으)라고 해요 → -(으)래요, -냐고 해요 → -냬요, -자고 해요 → -재요. These forms sound natural and friendly, and you will hear them every day.

Listening speed

Listen buttons use your device’s Korean voice. A Korean voice must be installed and available to the browser.

A situation you already know

You check the weather app and tell your roommate:

내일 비 온대요. 우산 챙기세요.

They say it’ll rain tomorrow. Take an umbrella.

온대요 = 온다고 해요. The source (the forecast) is clear from the situation.

Build the form

FORM IN MOTION

Try an expression

온다고 해요 → -다고 해 → 대 → 온대요Complete expression
학생이라고 해요 → -(이)라고 해 → 래 → 학생이래요Complete expression
오라고 해요 → -(으)라고 해 → 래 → 오래요Complete expression
오냐고 해요 → -냐고 해 → 냬 → 오냬요Complete expression
가자고 해요 → -자고 해 → 재 → 가재요Complete expression

Statements: verbs -ㄴ/는대요 (간대요, 먹는대요); adjectives -대요 (좋대요); past -았/었대요 (갔대요).
Nouns: (이)래요 → 학생이래요, 의사래요.
Commands and requests: -(으)래요 → 가래요, 읽으래요. “Give it to me”: 달래요.
Questions: -냬요 → 가냬요, 학생이냬요.
Suggestions: -재요 → 가재요, 먹재요.
With friends, drop 요: 온대, 가재.

Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide

These forms are hearsay: you are passing on something you heard or read. English “apparently / I heard / they said” covers the same ground.
-래요 has two sources: noun + (이)라고 해요 (학생이래요, “they say he’s a student”) and a command -(으)라고 해요 (가래요, “they told me to go”). Context tells you which.
Use them only for information from others, not for your own experience: 제가 먹어 봤는데 맛있어요 (not ✗맛있대요).

Six examples in context

민수 씨가 오늘 못 온대요.

Minsu says he can’t come today.

그 식당이 요즘 인기가 많대요.

I hear that restaurant is really popular these days.

저분이 새로 온 선생님이래요.

Apparently that’s the new teacher.

팀장님이 이 서류를 내일까지 내래요.

The team leader says to submit this document by tomorrow.

친구가 이번 주말에 바다에 가재요.

My friend says let’s go to the beach this weekend.

엄마가 저녁 먹었냬요.

Mom’s asking if I’ve had dinner.

Compare with related patterns

-다고 해요

내일 비가 온다고 해요.

The full form. Fine in writing or careful speech; -대요 is the everyday spoken version.

-대요? (rising)

내일 비 온대요?

With a rising tone, it asks what someone heard: “Did they say it’ll rain tomorrow?”

-다면서요?

내일 비 온다면서요?

Checks something you heard with the listener (Lesson 97).

Pattern	Choose it when…
-대요	a reported statement
-(이)래요 / -(으)래요	a reported noun sentence or command
-냬요	a reported question
-재요	a reported suggestion

Common mistakes

내일 비가 오대요.내일 비가 온대요.

Present verbs need -ㄴ/는대요.

그 사람이 학생대요.그 사람이 학생이래요.

Nouns take (이)래요.

친구가 같이 가래요. (= let’s go)친구가 같이 가재요.

A suggestion → -재요.

제가 먹어 봤는데 정말 맛있대요.제가 먹어 봤는데 정말 맛있어요.

For your own experience, don’t use hearsay.

Mini practice · six questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.

Make it shorter지수 씨가 다음 달에 결혼한다고 해요.
Check answer
지수 씨가 다음 달에 결혼한대요.
-ㄴ다고 해요 → -ㄴ대요.
Make it shorter선생님이 내일 일찍 오라고 해요.
Check answer
선생님이 내일 일찍 오래요.
-(으)라고 해요 → -(으)래요.
Choose the natural form친구: “같이 영화 보자!” → 친구가 같이 영화 (보재요 / 보래요).
Check answer
보재요
A suggestion → -재요.
Choose the natural form저 사람이 이 가게 (사장님이래요 / 사장님대요).
Check answer
사장님이래요
Noun → (이)래요.
Fix the mistake동생이 뭐 먹냐요.
Check answer
동생이 뭐 먹냬요.
A reported question → -냬요.
Say it in KoreanMy friend says he’s busy today.
Check answer
친구가 오늘 바쁘대요.
Adjective + -대요.

Today’s key point

-다고 해요 → -대요 · -(이)라고 해요 → -(이)래요 · -(으)라고 해요 → -(으)래요 · -냐고 해요 → -냬요 · -자고 해요 → -재요. Hearsay only, not for your own experience.

Keep learning

Hyeju Yoo

M.A. in Korean Language Education · Certified Korean language teacher

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