[Learn Korean I35] ”-더라고(요)”, ”-(ㄴ/는)다더라”, ”-던데”

안녕하세요. 토미입니다.

Let’s have fun learning Korean today!

Today’s grammar is first -더라고(요) “I saw/experienced that ~”, second -(ㄴ/는)다더라 “I
heard that ~” and third -던데 “I saw/felt/surprised that ~.”

After learning today’s grammar, you will be able to express your surprise at what you saw.

For example, 유미 씨가 아주 멋진 가방을 갖고 있더라고요. “I saw Yumi had a really stylish bag.”

You can tell how much the speaker was surprised at Yumi’s fancy bag.

Also, this is our 35th lesson, so I put my whole heart into making a test.

The test will cover the 31st to the 35th lesson in intermediate Korean.

You will see lots of sample sentences you learned in videos.

Besides, if you study with my material, you can prepare yourself for TOPIK II, Level Four.

I am also teaching Korean in Japanese, and so many Japanese students who studied my material passed the test already.

So, I am sure you guys can pass the test as well.

Let’s do our best and become a super master of intermediate Korean!

그럼 시작할게요! 

[Learn Korean I35] ”-더라고(요)”, ”-(ㄴ/는)다더라”, ”-던데”
Today’s grammar is first -더라고(요) “I saw/experience...

-더라고(요)

-더라고(요) means “I saw/experienced that ~.”

It is the same meaning as the grammar -더라, which we learned in the 34th lesson.

You can use this when you want to recall something you saw or heard in the past.

Or you can use it when you want to express your surprise about how you felt or what you discovered in the past.

In addition, since you recollect your past event, which you were surprised at, the subject cannot be the speaker himself.

Therefore,

나는 김치를 먹을 수 있더라고요.
I was able to eat Kimchi

is a wrong expression because it is using 나는 “I,” which is the first-person pronoun.

The correct sentence would be

메리는 김치를 먹을 수 있더라고요!
Merry was able to eat Kimchi!

As you can see, 메리 is the third-person pronoun.

The speaker was surprised at the fact that Merry was able to eat Kimchi!

That’s why he is using 더라고요!

Do you get the feeling?

And I said -더라고(요) is similar to 더라.

But, while you can use -더라 in a questioning tone like 뭐더라 “What was that?”, you cannot use -더라고(요) as a question.

You always use -더라고(요) in a plain sentence.

In addition, you can use the past tense of 았/었+더라고(요) when things were completed in the past.

About the usage, for verbs and adjectives, you attach -더라고(요).

And for nouns, you attach -(이)더라고(요). 

Then, let’s read a sample sentence.

어제 보니까 수미 씨가 요리 진짜 잘하더라고요.
I saw yesterday that Sumi was really good at cooking.

Can you tell that the speaker was surprised at her cooking skill?

That’s why he is using -더라고요 at the end of the sentence.

Here, 잘하다 “to do ~ well, to be good at ~” is a verb.

So, you add -더라고요 to make 잘하더라고요 “I saw that (Sumi) was good at.”

Let’s read the next sentence.

중국어는 쉬운 줄 알았는데 생각보다 어렵더라고요.
I thought Chinese was easy, but I found it more difficult than I thought.

Every language has a difficult part, right?

Here, 어렵다 “to be difficult” is an adjective.

So, you add -더라고요 to make 어렵더라고요 “I found it difficult.” Then, let’s read the next sentence.

아침에 일어나보니까 한밤중에 비가 왔더라고.
Once I woke up in the morning, I found it rained during the night.

You can tell that the speaker was surprised that it was raining.

Here, 왔다 “rained” is the past tense.

Thus, you add -더라고 to make 왔더라고 “I found it rained.”

더라 itself already has the meaning of the past event.

But if you say it in the past tense like 왔더라고 “I found it rained”, you can express that the rain had finished.

Quiz


Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

별로 큰 문제가 아닌 것 같은데 수미 씨는 화를 ( ).
I don’t think it’s a big problem, but I saw Su-mi seemingly getting angry.

(1) 내더라고요 (2) 낸더라고요

The correct answer is number one.

Here, 화를 내다 “to get angry” is a verb.

So, you add -더라고요 to make 내더라고요 “I saw (Sumi) seemingly getting angry.

Number two is the wrong conjugation.

You always attach 더라고요 for verbs and adjectives.

Then, let’s read it together!

별로 큰 문제가 아닌 것 같은데 수미 씨는 화를 (내더라고요).

Please, read it several times to feel this grammar.

Then, let’s look at the next quiz!

알고 보니까 그 사람이 부장님 ( ).
It turned out that that person was the manager’s son.

(1)아들더라고 (2) 아들이더라고

The correct answer is number two.

아들 “son” is a noun, which has a final consonant.

So, you add -이더라고 to make 아들이더라고.

Number one is the wrong conjugation.

Since 아들 has a final consonant, you have to attach 이더라고. Not 더라고. 

Then, let’s read it together!

알고 보니까 그 사람이 부장님 (아들이더라고).

Please read it in a surprised tone.

–(ㄴ/는)다더라

Then, let’s move on to the second grammar!

-(ㄴ/는)다더라 “I heard that ~.”

It is one of indirect speech.

-(ㄴ/는)다더라 is an abbreviation of ㄴ/는다고 하더라.

The speaker is trying to say what he newly heard from his friends or people in general.

And this is a colloquial expression.

About the usage, for verbs you attach -(ㄴ/는)다더라.

For example, 가다 “to go” does not have a final consonant.

Therefore, you add ㄴ다더라 to the stem to make 간다더라 “I heard that (you) go”

On the other hands, 먹다 “to eat” has a final consonant.

Thus, you add 는다더라 to the stem to make 먹는다더라 “I heard that (you) eat.”

For adjectives, you attach -다더라. And for nouns, you attach -(이)라더라. Then, let’s read a sample sentence.

우리 동생이 청소는 자기가 한다더라.
My younger brother said he would do the cleaning.

Here, 하다 “to do” is a verb, which does not have a final consonant.

So, you add -ㄴ다더라 to make 한다더라 “I heard that (he) would.”

Let’s read the next sentence.

언니가 이 색깔은 싫다더라.
I heard that my sister hated this color.

Here, 싫다 “to hate” is an adjective.

So, you add -다더라 to make 싫다더라 “I heard that (she) hated.”

Let’s read the next sentence.

우혁 씨는 회사에 출근하는 게 오늘이 마지막이라더라.
I heard that today was the last time for Woo Hyuk to come to the office.

Here, 마지막 “the last” is a noun that has a final consonant.

So, you add -이라더라 to make 마지막이라더라 “I heard that (it) was the last.”

Quiz


Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

오빠가 그 책 아직도 ( ).
I heard that my brother just read halfway through the book.

(1)읽는다더라  (2) 읽더라

The correct answer is number one.

읽다 “to read” is a verb, which has a final consonant.

So, you add -는다더라 to make 읽는다더라 “I heard (that) he read.”

Number two is wrong because 읽더라 does not have the meaning of indirect speech.

Then, let’s read it together!

오빠가 그 책 아직도 (읽는다더라).

Please read it again and again until you can say it naturally.

Let’s look at the next quiz.

우리 언니가 이 식당이 굉장히 ( ).
I heard that our sister said that the restaurant is really delicious.

(1)맛있다더라  (2) 맛있더라

The correct answer is number one.

맛있다 “to be delicious” is an adjective. So, you add -다더라 to make 맛있다더라 “I heard that it is delicious.”

Number two is wrong because 맛있더라 does not have the meaning of indirect speech.

Then, let’s read it together!

우리 언니가 이 식당이 굉장히 (맛있다더라).

Please read it again and again until you can say it naturally.

-던데

The last grammar, -던데 means “I saw/felt/surprised that ~.”

This grammar is the combination of -던, which expresses the speaker’s recollection, and (으)ㄴ데요, which tells the contrast, or surprising situation.

You use 았/었던데요 when an event finished in a past.

About the usage, for verbs and adjectives, you always attach -던데.

And for nouns, you attach -(이) 던데. Then, let’s read a sample sentence.

우리 애가 그 식당이 유명하다고 하던데 가 보셨어요?
My child said that the restaurant was famous, but have you been there?

Here, 하다 “to do” is a verb.

So, you add -던데 to make 하던데 “(My child) said, but ~.”

Then, let’s read the next sentence.

카페에 평소엔 사람들이 많던데 오늘은 조용하네요.
Usually, there were many people in the cafe, but today it’s quiet, isn’t it?

Here, 많다 “there are many ~” is an adjective.

Therefore, you add -던데 to make 많던데 “there were many ~, but ~.”

Next, I will give you a conversation.

A: 춤 배우기가 쉽지 않죠?
It must be difficult to learn a dance, isn’t it?

B: 아뇨, 생각보다 쉽던데요.
No, I felt it was easier than I thought.

Here, 쉽다 “to be easy” is an adjective.

So, what do you have to add? 3,2,1! 던데요~ !!

Yes!! You add 던데요 to make 쉽던데요. “It was easier.”

Quiz


Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

상민 씨가 ( ) 빨리 가 봐야 되지 않아?
I know Sang-min has been waiting, so shouldn’t we go early?

(1)기다리던데 (2) 기다리더라

The correct answer is number one.

기다리다 “to wait” is a verb. So, you add -던데 to make 기다리던데 “(he) has been waiting, so ~.”

Number two is wrong because 기다리더라 always goes to the end of a sentence. 

Then, let’s read it together!

상민 씨가 (기다리던데) 빨리 가 봐야 되지 않아?

Then, let’s look at the next quiz!

어제는 ( ) 오늘은 선선하네요.
Yesterday it was hot, but today it’s cool, isn’t it?

(1)덥더라 (2) 덥던데

The correct answer is number two.

덥다 “to be hot” is an adjective. Thus, you add -던데 to make 덥던데 “(it) was hot, but ~.”

Number one is wrong because 덥더라 always has to come at the end of the sentence.

This cannot come in the middle of a sentence.

Then, let’s read it together!

어제는 (덥던데) 오늘은 선선하네요.

Please, imagine the scene and practice again and again.

Homework


Now, it’s time for today’s entertaining sentences.

I will read it for you.

걱정거리도
통장에 넣어둬야겠다.
거기에는 뭐 넣기만 하면
다 없어지던데….

I should put my worries in my bank account.
Whenever I put anything in there, everything will be gone…

I guess this person is having a hard time saving money.

Did you catch the joke and today’s grammar? I hope you found it.

Now, I will announce the homework.

I will give you two assignments as usual.

The first one is to make three sentences using today’s grammar.

For the first sentence, please use -더라고(요) “I saw/experienced that.”

For example,

저 사람이 한국어에 대해서 물어보더라고.
I saw that person asked about Korean.

This sentence is an indirect speech.

For the second sentence, please use -(ㄴ/는)다더라 “I heard that ~.”

For example,

상민 씨가 좀 늦는다더라.
I heard that Sang-min would be a bit late.

For the third sentence, please use -던데 “I saw/ felt/ was surprised~, but~.”

For example,

민정 씨가 널 찾던데 만났어?
I saw Minjeong looking for you, but did you see her?

Please work on it with your brain to make sentences!

I always see your efforts in your writing.

I appreciate your participation.

The second homework is to memorize new words.

Please memorize forty words from number 1361 to number 1400 on page 18 in the intermediate vocabulary list.

There is a vocabulary quiz of forty words on my website.

So, just feel free to try it. The link is in the description box.

Also, as I told you in the beginning, today is the 35th lesson.

Thus, I prepared for a special test for YOU!! It covers the 31st to the 35th lesson.

Please feel free to try it!

That’s pretty much for today!

Thank you for watching! And don’t forget!! Have fun learning Korean!!

그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요!

한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅!!

Vocabulary Test : 40 Questions

There will be 40 multiple choice questions in total displayed in random order, testing on Vocabulary #1361~1400 from the Intermediate Level Vocabulary List.