Pablo
How can I do reported speech in korean? I want to say this kind of sentences in korean: The teacher told me that I have to study. She says she cant go to the party. The traffic police told my friend that he had to stop the car. Is there and especial ending for verbs? Thank you
Mar 2, 2011 7:54 AM
Answers · 2
-대요 and -래요. 대요 is short for -다고 해요(says that...), and 래요 for -라고 해요(tell someone that... or tell someone to...). 선생님이 저한테 공부해야 된댔어요. The teacher told me that I have to study. 제 동생이 숙제해야 된대요. My brother/sister said that he/she should do homework. 내일 비온대요. (they told) that it would rain tomorrow. 친구가 아프대요. My friend says that s/he is sick. 없대요. (s/he says) there's not such thing. 친구가 나보고 거기 가래요. My friend told me to go there. 이 시계가 비싸다고 사지 말래요. (s/he told) me not to buy this watch, saying that it's expensive.
March 4, 2011
For reporting speech in Korean, you use the '-다' style for the subordinate clause (i.e., what's being reported), then add "-고' plus a verb indicating the reporting (i.e., said, asked, etc.). For example, "The teacher told me that I have to study" would work like this: I have to study -> 내가 공부해야 한다 that I have to study -> 내가 공부해야 한다고 The teacher told me that I have to study -> 선생님이 내가 공부해야 한다고 말했어요. "She says she can't go to the party" would work like this: She can't go to the party -> 그녀는 파티에 갈 수 없다 that she can't go to the party -> 그녀는 파티에 갈 수 없다고 She says she can't go to the party -> 그녀는 파티에 갈 수 없다고 해요. For the verb doing the reporting, it doesn't have to be in the '-요' style. Any style is fine, but when indirectly quoting or reporting something, the thing that's being reported is always in the '-다' style. Take an example that's not a statement. "He asked me what I ate" would work like this: What did I eat? -> 내가 무엇을 먹었냐? What did I eat (as an indirect quote) -> 내가 무엇을 먹었냐고 He asked me what I ate -> 그는 내가 무엇을 먹었냐고 물었어요. Or a command: "Jong Eun told me to go" would work like this: 종은이는 나한테 가라고 했어요. FYI, I'm trying to keep the examples a little simple to illustrate the structure so the Korean versions aren't necessarily the most natural way to say the English. Hope that helps.
March 2, 2011
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