Quotation Suffixes — Korean Grammar

Quotation suffixes allow you to report what someone said, asked, thought, or suggested. In Korean, the grammatical structure changes depending on whether you are quoting the exact words (direct) or the meaning of the words (indirect).

Direct Quotations

Direct quotations repeat the speaker's exact words, usually inside quotation marks. To form a direct quote, place the particle (ra·gora·gora·gola·ko) or (i·ra·goi·ra·goi·ra·goi·la·ko) after the quote, followed by a verb like (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta) meaning to do/say.

Use (ra·gora·gora·gola·ko) if the quote ends in a vowel, and (i·ra·goi·ra·goi·ra·goi·la·ko) if it ends in a consonant.

저는 "사랑해"라고 말했어요.
jŏ·nŭn "sa·rang·hæ" ra·go mal·hæss·ŏ·yo.jeo·neun "sa·rang·hae" ra·go mal·haess·eo·yo.jŏ·nŭn "sa·rang·hae" ra·go mal·haess·ŏ·yo.ce·nun "sa·lang·hay" la·ko mal·hayss·e·yo.
I said "I love you".
학생이 "아니요"라고 했어요.
hag·sæng·i "a·ni·yo" ra·go hæss·ŏ·yo.hag·saeng·i "a·ni·yo" ra·go haess·eo·yo.hag·saeng·i "a·ni·yo" ra·go haess·ŏ·yo.hag·sayng·i "a·ni·yo" la·ko hayss·e·yo.
The student said "No".
그는 "수박"이라고 했어요.
gŭ·nŭn "su·bag" i·ra·go hæss·ŏ·yo.geu·neun "su·bag" i·ra·go haess·eo·yo.gŭ·nŭn "su·bag" i·ra·go haess·ŏ·yo.ku·nun "su·pag" i·la·ko hayss·e·yo.
He said "Watermelon".

Indirect Statements

Indirect quotations report the content of a statement without using the exact phrasing. The suffix changes based on whether the word being quoted is an action verb or a descriptive verb (adjective).

For action verbs, use the plain form ending (n·dan·dan·dan·ta) or (nŭn·daneun·danŭn·danun·ta) followed by (gogogoko).

Verb stem ending in vowel + (n·da·gon·da·gon·da·gon·ta·ko)
Verb stem ending in consonant + (nŭn·da·goneun·da·gonŭn·da·gonun·ta·ko)

친구가 학교에 간다고 했어요.
chʰin·gu·ga hag·gyo·æ gan·da·go hæss·ŏ·yo.chin·gu·ga hag·gyo·ae gan·da·go haess·eo·yo.ch'in·gu·ga hag·gyo·ae gan·da·go haess·ŏ·yo.chin·ku·ka hag·kyo·ay kan·ta·ko hayss·e·yo.
My friend said he is going to school.
저는 김밥을 먹는다고 했어요.
jŏ·nŭn gim·bab·ŭl mŏg·nŭn·da·go hæss·ŏ·yo.jeo·neun gim·bab·eul meog·neun·da·go haess·eo·yo.jŏ·nŭn gim·bab·ŭl mŏg·nŭn·da·go haess·ŏ·yo.ce·nun kim·pab·ul meg·nun·ta·ko hayss·e·yo.
I said I am eating gimbap.

For descriptive verbs (adjectives), simply attach (da·goda·goda·gota·ko) to the dictionary stem.

한국어가 어렵다고 들었어요.
han·gug·ŏ·ga ŏ·ryŏb·da·go dŭr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.han·gug·eo·ga eo·ryeob·da·go deur·eoss·eo·yo.han·gug·ŏ·ga ŏ·ryŏb·da·go dŭr·ŏss·ŏ·yo.han·kug·e·ka e·lyeb·ta·ko tur·ess·e·yo.
I heard that Korean is difficult.
그 여자가 예쁘다고 생각해요.
gŭ yŏ·ja·ga ye·bbŭ·da·go sæng·gag·hæ·yo.geu yeo·ja·ga ye·bbeu·da·go saeng·gag·hae·yo.gŭ yŏ·ja·ga ye·ppŭ·da·go saeng·gag·hae·yo.ku ye·ca·ka yey·ppu·ta·ko sayng·kag·hay·yo.
I think that woman is pretty.

Indirect Questions

When reporting a question (e.g., "He asked where I was"), use the suffix (nya·gonya·gonya·gonya·ko).

For action verbs, the standard form is (nŭ·nya·goneu·nya·gonŭ·nya·gonu·nya·ko), though (nya·gonya·gonya·gonya·ko) is often used in speech. For adjectives, use (nya·gonya·gonya·gonya·ko) or (ŭ·nya·goeu·nya·goŭ·nya·gou·nya·ko).

저에게 어디 가느냐고 물었어요.
jŏ·æ·gæ ŏ·di ga·nŭ·nya·go mur·ŏss·ŏ·yo.jeo·ae·gae eo·di ga·neu·nya·go mur·eoss·eo·yo.jŏ·ae·gae ŏ·di ga·nŭ·nya·go mur·ŏss·ŏ·yo.ce·ay·kay e·ti ka·nu·nya·ko mur·ess·e·yo.
He asked me where I am going.
선생님은 숙제가 많으냐고 물으셨어요.
sŏn·sæng·nim·ŭn sug·jæ·ga man·ʰŭ·nya·go mur·ŭ·syŏss·ŏ·yo.seon·saeng·nim·eun sug·jae·ga man·ʰŭ·nya·go mur·eu·syeoss·eo·yo.sŏn·saeng·nim·ŭn sug·jae·ga man·ʰŭ·nya·go mur·ŭ·syŏss·ŏ·yo.sen·sayng·nim·un sug·cay·ka man·ʰŭ·nya·ko mur·u·syess·e·yo.
The teacher asked if there is a lot of homework.

Indirect Commands and Suggestions

If you are quoting a command (telling someone to do something), use the suffix (ŭ·ra·goeu·ra·goŭ·ra·gou·la·ko) or (ra·gora·gora·gola·ko).

Stem ending in vowel + (ra·gora·gora·gola·ko)
Stem ending in consonant + (ŭ·ra·goeu·ra·goŭ·ra·gou·la·ko)

의사가 운동하라고 했어요.
ŭi·sa·ga un·dong·ha·ra·go hæss·ŏ·yo.ui·sa·ga un·dong·ha·ra·go haess·eo·yo.ŭi·sa·ga un·dong·ha·ra·go haess·ŏ·yo.uy·sa·ka un·tong·ha·la·ko hayss·e·yo.
The doctor told me to exercise.
엄마가 밥을 먹으라고 해요.
ŏm·ma·ga ba·bŭl mŏg·ŭ·ra·go hæ·yo.eom·ma·ga ba·beul meog·eu·ra·go hae·yo.ŏm·ma·ga ba·bŭl mŏg·ŭ·ra·go hae·yo.em·ma·ka pa·pul meg·u·la·ko hay·yo.
Mom tells me to eat rice.

If you are quoting a suggestion (saying "Let's do X"), use the suffix (ja·goja·goja·goca·ko).

친구가 같이 가자고 했어요.
chʰin·gu·ga gat·i ga·ja·go hæss·ŏ·yo.chin·gu·ga gat·i ga·ja·go haess·eo·yo.ch'in·gu·ga gat·i ga·ja·go haess·ŏ·yo.chin·ku·ka kat·i ka·ca·ko hayss·e·yo.
My friend suggested we go together.
오빠가 맥주를 마시자고 했어요.
o·bba·ga mæg·ju·rŭl ma·si·ja·go hæss·ŏ·yo.o·bba·ga maeg·ju·reul ma·si·ja·go haess·eo·yo.o·ppa·ga maeg·ju·rŭl ma·si·ja·go haess·ŏ·yo.o·ppa·ka mayg·cu·lul ma·si·ca·ko hayss·e·yo.
My older brother suggested we drink beer.

Quoting "To Be" (Nouns)

When quoting a sentence that ends in the verb (i·dai·dai·dai·ta) meaning to be (Noun + is), the pattern is slightly different.

For indirect statements, use (i·ra·goi·ra·goi·ra·goi·la·ko) after a consonant and (ra·gora·gora·gola·ko) after a vowel. This looks identical to the Direct Quote particle, but the context tells them apart.

그것은 책이라고 했어요.
gŭ·gŏs·ŭn chʰæg·i·ra·go hæss·ŏ·yo.geu·geos·eun chaeg·i·ra·go haess·eo·yo.gŭ·gŏs·ŭn ch'aeg·i·ra·go haess·ŏ·yo.ku·kes·un chayg·i·la·ko hayss·e·yo.
He said that it is a book.
저는 의사라고 말했어요.
jŏ·nŭn ŭi·sa·ra·go mal·hæss·ŏ·yo.jeo·neun ui·sa·ra·go mal·haess·eo·yo.jŏ·nŭn ŭi·sa·ra·go mal·haess·ŏ·yo.ce·nun uy·sa·la·ko mal·hayss·e·yo.
I said that I am a doctor.

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