Korean Rumor Quotes: -대요, -래요, -재요, -냬요
Korean contracts indirect quotes for gossip: -ㄴ/는대요 (둘이 사귄대요 — I hear they're dating), -(으)래요 (빨리 오래요 — they say come quick), -재요 (만나재요 — they suggest we meet), -냬요 (언제 오냬요 — they ask when you're coming), plus -다면서요? to confirm a rumor.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
When Korean gossips, it contracts the full indirect quotes you learned in Grade 3. Statements -ㄴ/는다고 해요 shrink to -ㄴ/는대요 (둘이 사귄대요 — I hear those two are dating); questions -냐고 해요 to -냬요 (언제 오냬요 — they ask when you’re coming); commands -(으)라고 해요 to -(으)래요 (빨리 오래요 — they say come quick); suggestions -자고 해요 to -재요 (만나재요 — they suggest we meet). To confirm a rumor straight to someone’s face, add -(느)ㄴ다면서요? (회사를 옮긴다면서요? — I heard you’re changing jobs, right?). These are the forms every K-drama group chat runs on.
You already met the four full quotation patterns — reporting statements and questions and relaying commands and suggestions. This lesson just contracts them for real conversation: instead of the careful 사귄다고 해요, friends say 사귄대요. Same meaning, faster mouth. Learn the gossip vocabulary first.
Ten words for rumors and news
The toolkit for trading news with friends.
Reporting a statement — -ㄴ/는대요
Take the full statement quote -ㄴ/는다고 해요 and squeeze it to -ㄴ/는대요. Verbs add -ㄴ다/-는다, adjectives stay plain, the past uses -았/었-, and nouns use 이래요.
둘이 사귄대요 = I hear those two are dating (사귀다 → 사귄다고 해요) 음식이 정말 맛있대요 = they say the food is really good (adjective) 민수는 벌써 갔대요 = I hear Minsu already left (past) 새로 온 사람이 유학생이래요 = they say the new person is an exchange student (noun)
The noun form deserves a note: 이라고 해요 contracts to 이래요 — 학생이래요 (they say he’s a student), 의사래요 (they say she’s a doctor). Don’t confuse this 이래요 (noun report) with 오래요 below (a command).
Reporting a question — -냬요
A reported question -냐고 해요 contracts to -냬요. Works the same for verbs, adjectives, and the past — just attach -냬요 to the plain stem.
너 언제 오냬요 = he asks when you’re coming 그 식당이 비싸냬요 = she’s asking whether that restaurant is expensive 주말에 시간 있냬요 = they’re asking if you have time on the weekend 어제 왜 안 왔냬요 = he asks why you didn’t come yesterday (past)
So when a friend relays a question someone asked about you, it lands as -냬요: 민수가 너 결혼하냬요 = Minsu’s asking whether you’re getting married.
Reporting a command or suggestion — -(으)래요 / -재요
A command -(으)라고 해요 contracts to -(으)래요; a suggestion -자고 해요 contracts to -재요. These pass along what someone told you to do, or proposed.
선생님이 빨리 오래요 = the teacher says to come quick (command) 엄마가 여기서 기다리래요 = Mom says to wait here (command) 친구가 주말에 만나재요 = my friend suggests we meet this weekend (suggestion) 다 같이 영화 보재요 = they’re suggesting we all watch a movie together (suggestion)
Keep -ㄴ대요 vs -(으)래요 straight — one letter, opposite jobs. 민수가 온대요 = Minsu says he’s coming (statement); 민수가 오래요 = Minsu says (for you) to come (command). 대 reports a fact, 래 relays an order.
Confirming a rumor — -다면서요?
To check a rumor with the person involved — “I heard that…, right?” — use -(느)ㄴ다면서요? (verbs) or -다면서요? (adjectives). It invites confirmation, often with a teasing or surprised tone.
두 사람 사귄다면서요? = I heard you two are dating — right? 회사를 옮긴다면서요? = I heard you’re changing jobs — is that so? 그 영화 재미있다면서요? = I heard that movie’s fun — true? 다음 달에 결혼한다면서요? = I heard you’re getting married next month — really?
In fast casual speech this often shortens further to -다며? — 사귄다며? = you two are dating?! Same confirming, even more familiar.
The group chat lights up
Two friends trading gossip — every rumor form in action:
Count the contractions: 사귄대 reports the statement, 사귄다면서요 / 결혼한다면서 confirm the rumor, 있냬 relays the question, 축하하재 passes the suggestion, and 오래 relays the command — the full gossip toolkit in seven lines.
FAQ
How do the four rumor contractions map to the full forms? Each is the spoken contraction of ‘-고 해요’ (someone says…): Statements -ㄴ/는다고 해요 → -ㄴ/는대요 (사귄대요 = I hear they’re dating; past 갔대요 = I hear he left; with nouns 이라고 해요 → 이래요, 학생이래요 = they say he’s a student). Questions -냐고 해요 → -냬요 (언제 오냬요 = he asks when you’re coming). Commands -(으)라고 해요 → -(으)래요 (가래요 = they say to go; 기다리래요 = they say to wait). Suggestions -자고 해요 → -재요 (만나재요 = they suggest we meet). The contraction is everyday spoken Korean — the full -고 해요 forms are more careful or written.
What’s the difference between -ㄴ대요 and -ㄴ래요? They come from different sentence types, so they mean different things. -ㄴ/는대요 reports a STATEMENT: 온대요 = (he) says he’s coming / I hear he’s coming. -(으)래요 reports a COMMAND: 오래요 = (someone) says to come (telling you to come). So 민수가 온대요 = Minsu says he’s coming, but 민수가 오래요 = Minsu says (for you) to come. One letter apart, opposite meaning — listen for 대 (statement) vs 래 (command).
When do I use -다면서요? and what tone does it carry? Use -(느)ㄴ다면서(요)? / -다면서(요)? to confirm something you heard — ‘I heard that…, is that right?’ It checks a rumor or report with the listener: 사귄다면서요? = I heard you two are dating (right?); 회사를 옮긴다면서요? = I heard you’re changing jobs (is that so?); 그 영화 재미있다면서요? = I heard that movie is fun. The tone is curious or mildly teasing, often surprised — you’re inviting confirmation, not stating a fact. In casual speech you’ll also hear -다며? as an even shorter form.
Next: retrospective -던데, -더라, -더군. Previous: causative verbs — 사동. Full path: curriculum hub.