3 · Reported speech
Reporting an order or request: -(으)라고 하다
indirect commands
An order or a request is reported with -(으)라고; "give me" becomes 달라고, "give him" 주라고.
After a vowel or l the ending is -라고 (가라고, 기다리라고, 열라고), after any other consonant -으라고 (먹으라고, 읽으라고). Irregular stems: 들으라고, 도우라고. A negative order — “don’t” — becomes -지 말라고: 가지 말라고.
It reports an instruction, a request or a piece of advice: 의사가 푹 쉬라고 했어요, “the doctor told me to get plenty of rest”. The person who was told takes 한테 or 에게: 저한테 기다리라고 했어요. Besides 하다, 말하다 and 부탁하다 (ask a favour) are common.
주다 splits in two in a report. When the speaker asked for something for themselves — 주세요, “give me” or “do for me” — the report has 달라고: 친구가 펜을 빌려 달라고 했어요. When the giving or helping is for a third person, it stays 주라고: 선생님이 이 책을 민수에게 주라고 하셨어요.
Be careful with two look-alikes: 의사라고 했어요 reports a statement, “she said she was a doctor”, while 가라고 했어요 reports an order, “she told me to go”. After a noun it is 이다; after a verb stem, an order. The most common error is 주라고 where 달라고 is needed.
The form
| after a vowel | 가다 → 가라고 |
| after a consonant | 읽다 → 읽으라고 |
| stem ending in l | 열다 → 열라고 |
| don’t | 가지 말라고 |
| for the speaker | 도와 달라고 |
| for someone else | 도와 주라고 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-라고 after a vowel or l, -으라고 after any other consonant.
의사 선생님이 약을 먹으라고 하셨어요.The doctor told me to take the medicine.
A negative order is reported with -지 말라고.
엄마가 밤에 혼자 나가지 말라고 했어요.Mum told me not to go out alone at night.
When the speaker wanted something for themselves, 주다 becomes 달라고.
친구가 펜을 빌려 달라고 했어요.My friend asked me to lend them a pen.
When it is for a third person, 주다 stays as 주라고.
선생님께서 이 서류를 민수 씨에게 주라고 하셨어요.The teacher told me to give this document to Minsu.
The person who was told takes 한테 or 에게.
부장님이 저한테 보고서를 내일까지 내라고 하셨어요.The manager told me to hand in the report by tomorrow.
A closer look
Where 달라고 comes from
달라고 is the last trace of an old verb meaning “give to me”. Today it survives in reported requests, in the plain written command 달라 and in the old-fashioned 다오, which is why it looks unlike anything else in the language. Everywhere else, “give me” is 주세요.
The verb of saying sets the tone of the report. 하다 and 말하다 are neutral, 부탁하다 makes it a favour, and 시키다 an order from above: 팀장님이 저한테 자료를 정리하라고 시키셨어요.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the stem ends in l, as in 열다, 만들다 or 놀다
-라고 is added without 으, and the l stays: 열라고, 만들라고.
엄마가 창문을 열라고 했어요.Mum told me to open the window.
A stem in l never takes the linking vowel 으, and the l only drops before n, b and s.
How to spot it
- -(으)라고
- -지 말라고
- 달라고
- 주라고
Example sentences
선생님이 수업 시간에 휴대폰을 끄라고 하셨어요.The teacher told us to switch off our phones in class.
의사가 푹 쉬라고 했어요.The doctor told me to get plenty of rest.
친구가 저한테 조금만 기다려 달라고 했어요.My friend asked me to wait a little.
아버지가 늦게 다니지 말라고 하셨어요.My father told me not to stay out late.
직원이 여기에 이름을 쓰라고 했어요.The member of staff told me to write my name here.
엄마가 동생 숙제를 좀 봐 주라고 했어요.Mum told me to help my younger sibling with their homework.
8 more example sentences
경찰관이 차를 세우라고 했어요.The police officer told me to stop the car.
어머니께서 손을 씻으라고 하셨어요.My mother told me to wash my hands.
친구가 사진을 보내 달라고 부탁했어요.My friend asked me to send the photos.
선생님께서 교실에서 떠들지 말라고 하셨어요.The teacher told us not to make a noise in the classroom.
할머니께서 천천히 먹으라고 하셨어요.My grandmother told me to eat slowly.
동생이 저한테 숙제를 도와 달라고 했어요.My younger sibling asked me to help with their homework.
할머니께서 강아지한테 밥을 주라고 하셨어요.My grandmother told me to feed the dog.
안내 방송에서 노란 선 뒤로 물러서라고 했어요.The announcement said to stand back behind the yellow line.
Worth knowing (1)
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-(이)라고 or -(으)라고?
The same syllables report two different things. After a noun, 라고 is 이다 and reports a statement: 의사라고 했어요, “she said she was a doctor”. After a verb stem it reports an order: 가라고 했어요, “she told me to go”.
형이 저한테 먼저 가라고 했어요.My older brother told me to go on ahead.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The friend wanted the help for themselves: they said 도와 주세요, “help me”. When the person who asked is also the one who benefits, 주다 becomes 달라고 in the report. 주라고 would mean they told you to help someone else.
Orders take -(eu)rago; when the speaker wants it for themselves, give becomes dallago.
Your turn
11 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.