4 · Reported speech
I heard that …: -다면서요? and -다던데
checking and passing on what you heard
-다면서요? checks what you heard with the person it concerns; -다던데 passes hearsay on as background.
-다면서요? grew out of -다고 하면서요, and it follows the forms of -다고: 바쁘다면서요?, 간다면서요?, 먹는다면서요?, 갔다면서요?, 학생이라면서요?. It means “I heard that …, is that right?” and is usually said to the person concerned: 다음 달에 결혼한다면서요?, “I hear you are getting married next month?”. Among friends it shortens to -다면서? or -다며?.
Because it repeats someone’s words back to them, it can also be a reminder or a mild reproach: 일찍 온다면서요? 왜 이렇게 늦었어요?, “you said you would be early — why are you so late?”. Orders and suggestions have the same pattern: -(으)라면서요?, -자면서요?.
-다던데 comes from -다고 하던데. It passes on hearsay as background for what follows, often a suggestion: 그 식당이 맛있다던데 같이 가 볼까요?, “I heard that restaurant is good — shall we try it?”. At the end of a sentence, -다던데요 passes the news on softly and leaves the rest open.
Both belong to conversation. In formal situations Koreans say -다고 들었습니다 instead. Learners tend to use -대요? where -다면서요? belongs: -대요? asks what somebody said, while -다면서요? checks with the person what you have heard about them.
The form
| adjectives | 바쁘다면서요? |
| action verbs | 간다면서요? 먹는다면서요? |
| the past | 갔다면서요? |
| a noun with 이다 | 학생이라면서요? |
| hearsay as background | 맛있다던데 |
| trailing off | 비가 온다던데요. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-다면서요? follows the forms of -다고 and asks the listener to confirm what you heard.
다음 달에 이사한다면서요?I hear you are moving next month — is that right?
With the past, it checks something that has already happened.
지난주에 제주도에 다녀왔다면서요?I heard you went to Jeju Island last week?
It can also remind someone of what they said themselves.
오늘은 일찍 온다면서요? 왜 이렇게 늦었어요?You said you would be early today — why are you so late?
-다던데 passes on something you heard as background for what comes next.
그 영화가 재미있다던데 같이 볼래요?I heard that film is good — do you want to see it together?
At the end of a sentence, -다던데요 passes on hearsay softly.
내일은 많이 춥다던데요.I heard it is going to be very cold tomorrow.
A closer look
Where the forms come from
-다면서요 is -다고 하면서요, “while saying that …”, worn down by use; -다던데 is -다고 하던데, with the retrospective -던- that looks back on something experienced. Knowing the long forms explains why the endings change with the kind of word exactly as -다고 does.
Casual speech drops the 요 and shortens further: -다면서?, -다며?. Formal speech uses the full forms with 듣다: 다음 달에 퇴직하신다고 들었습니다, “I understand you are retiring next month”.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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what you heard was an order or a suggestion
use -(으)라면서요? or -자면서요?: 일찍 오라면서요?, “you told me to come early, didn’t you?”.
같이 저녁 먹자면서요? 언제 먹을까요?You said we should have dinner together — so when shall we?
The pattern copies -(으)라고 and -자고 exactly as -다면서요? copies -다고.
How to spot it
- -다면서요?
- -다며?
- -다던데
- -(이)라던데요
Example sentences
요즘 한국어를 배운다면서요?I hear you are learning Korean these days?
승진하셨다면서요? 축하드려요.I heard you were promoted — congratulations!
이 근처에 새 도서관이 생겼다던데 가 봤어요?I heard a new library has opened near here — have you been?
감기에 걸렸다면서요? 이제 괜찮아요?I heard you caught a cold — are you all right now?
거기는 주말에 사람이 많다던데 평일에 가는 게 어때요?I heard it is crowded there at weekends — how about going on a weekday?
그 가게는 오늘 쉰다던데요.I heard that shop is closed today.
8 more example sentences
내일 휴가 간다면서요? 어디로 가요?I hear you are going on holiday tomorrow — where to?
동생이 대학교에 합격했다면서요?I heard your younger sibling got into university?
요즘 회사 일이 많이 바쁘다면서요?I hear things are very busy at work these days?
그 식당은 예약해야 한다던데 미리 전화해 볼게요.I heard you have to book at that restaurant, so I will ring ahead.
이 영화 원작이 소설이라던데 읽어 봤어요?I heard this film is based on a novel — have you read it?
민지 씨 남편이 요리사라면서요?I heard Minji's husband is a chef?
내일부터 장마가 시작된다던데요.I heard the rainy season starts tomorrow.
이번 시험은 어려웠다던데 잘 봤어요?I heard this exam was hard — did it go well?
Worth knowing (1)
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A gentle reproach
Because -다면서요? hands someone’s own words back to them, after a broken promise it becomes a complaint: 금방 온다면서요!, “you said you would be right back!”.
금방 끝난다면서요? 벌써 두 시간째예요.You said it would be over soon — it has already been two hours.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
-다면서요? is built on -다고, so an action verb keeps the -ㄴ/는- of the plain present: 간다면서요, 먹는다면서요. 가다면서요 uses the dictionary form, which is not the form a statement is quoted in.
Damyeonseoyo checks with the person what you heard about them; dadeonde passes it on to someone else.
Your turn
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