HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 33 · LESSON 118

-다니요? / -(이)라니요?What do you mean…? / …? Really?

When someone says something surprising, you can repeat it with -다니요? to show shock or disbelief: 그만둔다니요? (What do you mean you’re quitting?). It sounds like you can’t quite believe what you heard.

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

Your coworker casually says she is moving to Jeju next week.

다음 주에 이사 간다니요? 처음 들었어요!

You’re moving next week? This is the first I’ve heard of it!

You repeat her words with -다니요? because the news is sudden and hard to believe.

Build the form

FORM IN MOTION

Try an expression

가다 → 가 + ㄴ다니요? → 간다니요?Complete expression
먹다 → 먹 + 는다니요? → 먹는다니요?Complete expression
비싸다 → 비싸 + 다니요? → 비싸다니요?Complete expression
끝나다 (과거) → 끝났 + 다니요? → 끝났다니요?Complete expression
거짓말 → 거짓말 + 이라니요? → 거짓말이라니요?Complete expression

Verbs (present): vowel stem + -ㄴ다니요?, consonant stem + -는다니요? → 간다니요?, 먹는다니요?
Adjectives: stem + -다니요? → 비싸다니요?, 좋다니요?
Past: -았/었다니요? → 끝났다니요?, 떠났다니요?
Nouns: vowel + 라니요?, consonant + 이라니요? → 친구라니요?, 학생이라니요?
Commands and suggestions: -(으)라니요? / -자니요? → 지금 가라니요?, 같이 하자니요?
Without 요 (-다니? / -다니!) it is casual, or an exclamation: 벌써 끝났다니!

Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide

It is built on reported speech (-ㄴ/는다고 하다), so the forms are the same as Lesson 93’s -다고 하다 forms.
Tone matters: it can sound surprised, confused, or a bit offended. 제가 거짓말했다니요? can sound like “Are you accusing me of lying?”
Use it right after the other person speaks; you are reacting to their words.

Six examples in context

회사를 그만둔다니요? 무슨 일 있어요?

You’re quitting the company? Did something happen?

이게 만 원이라니요? 너무 싸요!

This is only 10,000 won? That’s so cheap!

벌써 다 먹었다니요? 방금 시켰잖아요.

You already ate it all? We only just ordered.

제가 1등이라니요? 믿을 수 없어요.

I came first? I can’t believe it.

이 날씨에 등산을 간다니요? 위험해요.

You’re going hiking in this weather? It’s dangerous.

지금 다시 하라니요? 오늘은 너무 늦었어요.

You want me to redo it now? It’s too late today.

Compare with related patterns

-다고요?

그만둔다고요?

“You said you’re quitting?” A check or echo question; -다니요? adds stronger surprise or disbelief (Lesson 93).

-(으)ㄴ/는 줄 몰랐다

그만두는 줄 몰랐어요.

“I didn’t know you were quitting.” Calm statement afterwards, not an instant reaction (Lesson 117).

정말요?

정말요? 그만둬요?

“Really? You’re quitting?” Simple and neutral; -다니요? repeats the exact words you can’t believe.

Pattern	Choose it when…
-다니요?	You can’t believe what you just heard
-다고요?	Checking or echoing what was said
-다니!	Exclamation to yourself, casual
정말요?	Simple surprise

Common mistakes

간다요니?간다니요?

The order is -다니 + 요.

먹다니요? (지금 먹어요?)먹는다니요?

Present verbs need -ㄴ/는다니요.

학생다니요?학생이라니요?

Nouns take (이)라니요.

싼다니요? (비싸지 않아요?)싸다니요?

Adjectives just take -다니요.

Mini practice · six questions

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

Fill in the blankA: 저 다음 달에 결혼해요. B: ______? 정말 축하해요! (결혼하다)
Check answer
결혼한다니요?
Verb, vowel stem → -ㄴ다니요?
Fill in the blankA: 이 가방 50만 원이에요. B: 50만 ______? (원)
Check answer
50만 원이라니요?
Noun ending in a consonant → 이라니요?
Choose the natural formA: 콘서트 표가 다 팔렸어요. B: 벌써 다 (팔렸다니요 / 팔린다니요)?
Check answer
팔렸다니요
It already happened → past -았/었다니요.
Choose the natural formA: 이 문제 쉬워요. B: 이게 (쉽다니요 / 쉰다니요)? 저는 너무 어려운데요.
Check answer
쉽다니요
Adjective → -다니요.
Fix the mistakeA: 내일 시험이에요. B: 내일 시험다니요?
Check answer
내일 시험이라니요?
Noun → (이)라니요.
Say it in Korean(reacting) You’re going home already? It’s only 8 o’clock.
Check answer
벌써 집에 간다니요? 아직 8시예요.
가다 → 간다니요?

Today’s key point

React to surprising words with -다니요?: verbs -ㄴ/는다니요, adjectives -다니요, past -았/었다니요, nouns (이)라니요. It means “What? I can’t believe it.”

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Hyeju Yoo

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

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