HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 09 · LESSON 94
-냐고 / -느냐고 하다Ask whether… / Ask what…
To report a question, Korean uses -냐고 plus 하다 or 묻다/물어보다. 친구가 “어디 가요?” 했어요 becomes 친구가 어디 가냐고 물어봤어요. In everyday speech, -냐고 works for verbs and adjectives alike; -느냐고 is a more formal, written variant.
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A situation you already know
At work, a colleague tells you your team leader was looking for you:
The team leader asked when you’re coming to the meeting.
The original question was 언제 회의에 와요? The question part becomes 오냐고, and 물어보셨어요 tells you it was asked.
Build the form
- 가다 → 가 + 냐고 → 가냐고 물어요Complete expression
- 먹다 → 먹 + (느)냐고 → 먹(느)냐고 물어요Complete expression
- 살다 → 사 + 냐고 (ㄹ 탈락) → 사냐고 물어요Complete expression
- 좋다 → 좋 + 냐고 → 좋냐고 물어요Complete expression
- 학생 → 학생 + 이냐고 → 학생이냐고 물어요Complete expression
- 갔다 → 갔 + 냐고 → 갔냐고 물어요Complete expression
- Everyday speech: stem + -냐고 for verbs, adjectives and 있다/없다 → 가냐고, 먹냐고, 좋냐고, 있냐고.
- Formal or written style: verbs -느냐고 (먹느냐고), adjectives -(으)냐고 (좋으냐고, 크냐고).
- ㄹ stems drop ㄹ: 살다 → 사냐고, 길다 → 기냐고.
- Nouns: (이)냐고 → 학생이냐고, 누구냐고, 얼마냐고.
- Past: -았/었냐고 → 갔냐고, 먹었냐고. Future: -(으)ㄹ 거냐고.
- Typical reporting verbs: 하다, 묻다, 물어보다.
Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide
- English changes word order (“She asked where I lived”). Korean keeps the question word in place: 어디 사냐고 물어봤어요.
- For yes/no questions, English adds “whether / if.” Korean just uses -냐고: 시간 있냐고 물었어요 (He asked if I had time).
- If the person who asked is senior, show respect in the reporting verb: 물어보셨어요.
Six examples in context
My friend asked what I’m doing this weekend.
Mom called to ask if I had eaten.
A customer asked how much these clothes are.
The teacher asked whether the homework was hard.
The staff member asked how many people we were.
My younger sibling asked if I have time tomorrow.
Compare with related patterns
-다고 하다
친구가 바쁘다고 했어요.Reports a statement (Lesson 93).
-(으)라고 하다
친구가 빨리 오라고 했어요.Reports a command or request (Lesson 95).
-냬요
친구가 뭐 하냬요.The spoken short form of 하냐고 해요 (Lesson 96).
| Pattern | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| -냐고 하다 | reporting a question |
| -다고 하다 | reporting a statement |
| -(으)라고 하다 | reporting a command or request |
| -냬요 | a reported question, shortened in speech |
Common mistakes
Drop the polite ending and attach -냐고 to the stem.
A noun ending in a consonant takes 이냐고.
ㄹ stems drop ㄹ before -냐고.
물어보다 reports a question, so use -냐고, not -다고.
Mini practice · six questions
Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.
- Fill in the blank친구가 저에게 어디에 ______ 물어봤어요. (살다)
Check answer
친구가 저에게 어디에 사냐고 물어봤어요.
ㄹ drops → 사냐고.
- Fill in the blank선생님이 시험이 ______ 물어보셨어요. (어렵다)
Check answer
선생님이 시험이 어렵냐고 물어보셨어요.
Adjective + -냐고 (formal: 어려우냐고).
- Choose the natural form직원이 혼자(냐고 / 이냐고) 물었어요.
Check answer
냐고
혼자 ends in a vowel → 혼자냐고.
- Choose the natural form엄마가 숙제 다 (했냐고 / 했다고) 물어보셨어요.
Check answer
했냐고
It was a question → -냐고.
- Fix the mistake친구가 내일 시간이 있어요냐고 했어요.
Check answer
친구가 내일 시간이 있냐고 했어요.
Remove 어요; stem + -냐고.
- Say it in KoreanThe taxi driver asked where I was going.
Check answer
택시 기사님이 어디 가냐고 물어보셨어요.
The question word stays; honor the driver with -시-.
Today’s key point
Report a question: stem + -냐고 + 하다/묻다/물어보다 (nouns: (이)냐고, past: -았/었냐고). ㄹ drops. -느냐고 / -(으)냐고 are more formal.
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