Making quotes

The plain form is necessary to make quotes.

Using this approach you can say something like:

• Ian said he is tired.
• He said he likes Kimchi.
• Did you say pizza?

The basics

There are different quoting forms, depending on whether the original quote was a question, suggestion, command or regular statement.

Quoting a statement

Plain form + 고 하다

1. Conjugate the plain form of any verb.
2. Attach 고.
3. Add the verb 말(을) 하다 (to speak) and conjugate.

You can use just 하다 instead of 말하다. It’s also possible to omit the 하다 completely.

Use -다고 했어요 to report what someone said. Use -다고요 to repeat or emphasize your own words, or with a question mark to confirm what someone else said.

Examples:

• I said I like movies: 저는 영화를 좋아한다고 했어요. / 저는 영화를 좋아한다고요.
• Did you say you don’t have time?: 시간이 없다고 했어요? / 시간이 없다고요?
• I said it’s too expensive: 너무 비싸다고 했어요. / 너무 비싸다고요.
• I said I’m also a foreigner: 저도 외국인이라고 했어요.

Exceptions:

• 이다 and 아니다 are exceptions.
  • 이다 becomes 이라고 after a consonant; or 라고 after a vowel.
  • 아니다 becomes 아니라고.

Quoting a question

Use this form when quoting what someone asked.

Verb stem + 냐고 하다

1. Get the verb stem.
2. Attach 냐고.
3. Add the verb 하다 and conjugate like before. Or add the verb 물어보다 (to ask).

Examples:

• Did you ask me if I speak Korean well?: 제가 한국어를 잘하냐고 물어봤어요?
• My friend asked where I was going: 친구가 어디에 가냐고 물어봤어요.

Special conjugation cases:

• If the verb stem ends with a ㄹ, remove ㄹ and attach 냐고.
  • For example: 살다 -> 사냐고.
• If an irregular verb stem ends with a ㅂ, remove ㅂ and attach 우 then 냐고.
  • For example: 맵다 -> 매우냐고.
• 이다 will become 이냐고 after a consonant; or after a vowel 냐고.

Quoting a command

Use this form when quoting a command.

Verb stem + (으)라고 하다

1. Get the verb stem.
2. Attach 으라고 if it ends in a consonant; or 라고 if it ends in a vowel.
3. Add the verb 하다 and conjugate like before.

Examples:

• I said turn off the lights: 불을 끄라고 했어요.
• My mom told me to eat: 엄마가 밥을 먹으라고 했어요.

Special conjugation cases:

• If the verb stem ends in a ㄹ, attach 라고.
  • For example: 살다 (to live) -> 살라고.
• If an irregular verb stem ends in a ㅂ, remove ㅂ, attach 우, then attach 라고.
  • For example: 눕다 (to lie down) -> 누우라고.
  • With a regular verb, keep the ㅂ: 입다 (to wear) -> 입으라고.

The verb 주다 (to give) has a special form when used with the command quoting form:

• It becomes 달라고 when the speaker is also the person who is receiving something.
• It becomes 주라고 when the speaker is not the person who is receiving something.
• This also applies when using 주다 after a conjugated action verb.
• For example:
  • I said give it to Minji: 저는 민지 씨에게 주라고 했어요.
  • I said give it to me: 저는 달라고 했어요.
  • I said do it for me: 저는 해 달라고 했어요.

Quoting a suggestion

Use this form when quoting a suggestion (Let’s).

Verb stem + 자고 하다

1. Get the verb stem.
2. Attach 자고.
3. Add the verb 하다 and conjugate like before.

Examples:

• Did you say let’s go eat Kimbap?: 김밥을 먹으러 가자고요?
• My friend suggested going home: 친구가 집에 가자고 했어요.

Topic and subject markers when quoting

Usually the person who is saying the quote is marked by the Topic Marker (은/는).

The subject of the quote, usually who or what the quote is talking about, uses the Subject Marker (이/가).

This is not a strong rule, but usually this is how they will be used.

Example: I said Kimchi is delicious: 저는 김치가 맛있다고 했어요.

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Sources & References

• BillyGo video about using quotes (#87 I Said Something)