3 · Reported speech
Reporting a suggestion: -자고 하다
indirect suggestions
A "let's" suggestion is reported with -자고, which goes straight onto the stem.
The ending -자고 goes straight onto any stem, with no vowel to choose: 가자고, 먹자고, 만들자고, 쉬자고. “Let’s not” becomes -지 말자고: 가지 말자고.
It reports a suggestion that includes the speaker, whatever ending the speaker used. 갑시다, 가요 used as “let’s go”, 갈까요? and casual 가자 all become 가자고: 친구가 같이 점심 먹자고 했어요, “my friend suggested having lunch together”.
Besides 하다, the formal 제안하다 (propose) and 약속하다 (promise, agree) are common: 우리는 다음에 또 만나자고 약속했어요. The politeness of the original is lost in the report; it shows only in the verb of saying, as in 하셨어요.
The difference from -(으)라고 is who takes part. 같이 가자고 했어요 means the friend suggested going together; 가라고 했어요 means the friend told you to go. English “suggested that I …” therefore often corresponds to -(으)라고 or to -아/어 보라고, not to -자고.
The form
| any stem | 가자고, 먹자고 |
| let’s not | 가지 말자고 |
| from 먹을까요? | 먹자고 했어요 |
| from 갑시다 | 가자고 했어요 |
| a formal verb of saying | 가자고 제안했어요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-자고 goes straight onto any stem.
친구가 주말에 같이 등산하자고 했어요.My friend suggested we go hiking together at the weekend.
Every kind of suggestion becomes -자고, whatever the original ending.
동료가 점심을 같이 먹자고 했어요.A colleague suggested having lunch together.
“Let’s not” becomes -지 말자고.
우리는 서로 비밀을 만들지 말자고 약속했어요.We promised each other not to keep secrets.
-자고 includes the speaker; -(으)라고 does not.
친구가 저한테 같이 가자고 했어요.My friend suggested we go together.
A closer look
From four endings to one
Korean has several ways to say “let’s”: the formal -(으)ㅂ시다, the polite -아/어요, the question -(으)ㄹ까요? and the casual -자. In the report they all collapse into -자고, and the original level of politeness is lost. If it matters, the verb of saying carries it: 부장님께서 회식을 하자고 하셨어요.
When two people agree on a plan together, -자고 약속하다 and -기로 하다 are close: 다음 주에 만나자고 약속했어요 reports the proposal and the promise, 다음 주에 만나기로 했어요 simply reports the decision.
How to spot it
- -자고
- -지 말자고
- 제안하다
- 약속하다
Example sentences
친구가 오늘 저녁에 영화를 보자고 했어요.My friend suggested we see a film this evening.
언니가 주말에 바다에 가자고 했어요.My older sister suggested going to the seaside at the weekend.
팀장님이 회의를 다음 주로 미루자고 하셨어요.The team leader suggested putting the meeting off until next week.
남자 친구가 비가 오니까 택시를 타자고 했어요.My boyfriend suggested taking a taxi because it was raining.
우리는 매일 한국어로만 이야기하자고 약속했어요.We agreed to speak only Korean every day.
동생이 오늘은 밖에 나가지 말자고 했어요.My younger sibling suggested not going out today.
8 more example sentences
친구들이 생일 파티를 하자고 했어요.My friends suggested having a birthday party.
아내가 이번 휴가에는 집에서 쉬자고 했어요.My wife suggested staying at home and resting this holiday.
동료들이 퇴근 후에 한잔하자고 했어요.My colleagues suggested going for a drink after work.
아이들이 공원에서 더 놀자고 졸랐어요.The children begged to stay longer in the park.
선배가 같이 스터디를 하자고 했어요.An older student suggested we form a study group.
우리는 다음에 또 만나자고 약속했어요.We promised to meet again.
친구가 너무 비싸니까 다른 가게에 가 보자고 했어요.My friend said it was too expensive and suggested trying another shop.
부모님께서 이번 설에는 고향에 같이 내려가자고 하셨어요.My parents suggested we all go down to our home town together this Lunar New Year.
Worth knowing (1)
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Suggesting something for the other person
Because -자고 always includes the original speaker, a suggestion for the listener alone is reported differently: with -아/어 보라고, “try …”, or with -는 게 어떠냐고, “asked how about …”.
친구가 저한테 요가를 해 보라고 했어요.My friend suggested that I try yoga.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The friend said 같이 저녁 먹어요 or 같이 먹을까요?, a suggestion that includes themselves, so the report takes -자고. -(으)라고 would turn it into an instruction for you alone.
"Let's" becomes -jago, from whatever ending it started with.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.