Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 8 - Advanced Korean #1 (Lessons 211 to 240) ᚛ Lesson 233 - I noticed that in Korean [-더라고(요)] [-더라]
I noticed that in Korean [-더라고(요)] [-더라]
Korean has a marker reserved for what you have seen, heard or felt yourself: the retrospective infix -더-, already met in -던, -던데(요) or -았/었더니. Its most common spoken ending is -더라고(요), "I noticed that…", which reports a lived experience, often with a hint of surprise. This lesson presents it, then its casual form -더라 and the hearsay -(ㄴ/는)다더라, "I heard that".
"I noticed that" with -더라고(요)
[Verb / Adjective]-더라고(요) / [Noun](이)더라고(요)
Observed result: -았/었더라고(요); impression, assumption: -겠더라고(요)
-더라고(요) is used for something you witnessed: you report an observed fact, usually with the idea that you didn't expect it or have just discovered it. The first clause sets the scene (-았/었는데, -아/어 보니, -다(가) 보니, see this lesson), the second gives the observation. Since the infix -더- describes what you observed from the outside, the subject is usually another person or a thing; you don't describe your own action with -더라고요, but you can describe what you felt (재미있더라고요, "I found it interesting"). In writing you often come across -더라구요, which notes the casual pronunciation of -고요; the correct form remains -더라고요.
집 앞에 새로 오픈한 마트에서 세일을 50%나 하더라고요. 가 보셨어요?
→ I saw that the supermarket that just opened in front of my place was offering as much as 50% off. Have you been?
이번에 한국으로 교환학생을 간다고 하니 엄마가 저와 떨어질 생각에 속상해하시더라고요.
→ When I said I was going to Korea on a university exchange, I saw that Mom was upset at the thought of being apart from me.
남자친구랑 정말 잘 맞는 줄 알았는데 막상 같이 지내다 보니 서로 다른 부분들 때문에 많이 싸우게 되더라고요.
→ I thought my boyfriend and I were a really good match, but once we actually lived together, we ended up fighting a lot over our differences.
유명한 맛집이라고 해서 한 시간이나 넘게 기다렸는데 막상 먹어 보니 별로더라고요.
→ I was told it was a famous restaurant, so I waited over an hour, but once I actually tried the food, I found it so-so.
친구들이 다 그 영화는 재미없다고 해서 기대도 안 하고 봤는데 의외로 저는 재미있더라고요.
→ Since all my friends said that film was boring, I watched it expecting nothing, and surprisingly, I found it good.
오늘 더울 줄 알고 얇게 입고 나갔는데 비가 오고 난 뒤라서 그런지 쌀쌀하니 춥더라고요.
→ I thought it would be hot today, so I went out in light clothes, but maybe because it had just rained, I found it chilly.
최근에 잡다한 생각이 많아서 잠을 잘 못 자다 보니 일이 잘 안 되더라고요.
→ Lately I've had a thousand things on my mind and I sleep badly, and as a result, I noticed that work wasn't going well.
아침에 일어나서 밖을 보니 밤새 눈이 정말 많이 왔더라고요.
→ When I got up this morning and looked outside, I saw that it had snowed a great deal overnight.
- 혹시 아침에 민지 씨 못 봤어요?
- 오늘 중요한 미팅이 있다고 급하게 나가더라고요.
→ - Did you happen to see Minji this morning?
- I saw her rush out saying she had an important meeting today.
- 여기 있던 과자 누가 다 먹었어요? 내가 먹으려고 사둔 건데...
- 좀 전에 민지가 배고프다면서 꺼내 먹더라고요.
→ - Who ate all the snacks that were here? I bought them for myself…
- A little while ago I saw Minji take them out and eat them, saying she was hungry.
최근에 보이스피싱 수법이 날마다 정교해져서 조금만 방심해도 감쪽같이 속겠더라고요.
→ Phone scam techniques are getting more sophisticated by the day; I had the feeling that with the slightest lapse of attention you could be fooled without noticing a thing.
민지에게 깜짝 생일파티를 해 주려고 다들 몰래 숨어서 기다렸는데 민지는 전혀 눈치를 못 채더라고요.
→ We all hid and waited to throw Minji a surprise birthday party, and I saw that she didn't suspect a thing.
The casual form -더라
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"I heard that" with -(ㄴ/는)다더라
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Exercises
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