Hearsay & Reporting¶

Quick Reference¶

Pattern	Formality	Usage	Example
-다던데	Casual	Conversational reporting	맛있다던데
-다더라	Casual	Sharing what you heard	맛있다더라
-다고 들었다	Neutral-Formal	Formal reporting	맛있다고 들었어요

-다던데 (I heard that...)¶

Formation¶

Action verbs (present): - -ㄴ/는다던데: 가다 → 간다던데

Descriptive verbs: - -다던데: 좋다 → 좋다던데 - 크다 → 크다던데

Past tense: - -았/었다던데: 갔다던데, 좋았다던데

Noun: - 이다 → 이라던데/라던데

Casual ending: -다던데요 (polite), -다던데 (casual)

Usage¶

Report information you heard while showing interest or suggesting action. Often implies "so maybe we should..." or invites response:

Examples:

저 식당이 맛있다던데.
I heard that restaurant is good. (maybe we should try it?)

그 영화가 재미있다던데요.
I heard that movie is interesting.

내일 비가 온다던데.
I heard it's going to rain tomorrow.

그 사람이 한국 사람이라던데.
I heard that person is Korean.

이 근처에 좋은 카페가 있다던데요.
I heard there's a good cafe near here.

Key Characteristics¶

Conversational: - Often leads to suggestions - Invites discussion - Shows you're sharing interesting information - Casual and friendly tone

Common patterns:

...다던데, 어때? (...I heard, what do you think?)
...다던데, 가볼까? (...I heard, shall we go?)
...다던데요. (polite sharing)

Usage Context¶

Making suggestions based on hearsay:

A: 저녁 뭐 먹을까?
B: 저기 새로 생긴 식당이 좋다던데. 거기 갈까?

Sharing gossip or news:

민수가 이번 달에 결혼한다던데.
I heard Minsu is getting married this month.

Giving indirect advice:

그 제품이 별로라던데.
I heard that product isn't very good. (implying: don't buy it)

-다더라 (They say...)¶

Formation¶

Same as -다던데 but ending in -더라:

Action verbs (present): - -ㄴ/는다더라: 간다더라

Descriptive verbs: - -다더라: 좋다더라

Past tense: - -았/었다더라: 갔다더라

Polite: -다더라고요 / -다래요 (shortened)

Usage¶

Report what you heard, often without implying action. More neutral reporting than -다던데:

Examples:

그 사람이 의사라더라.
They say that person is a doctor.

요즘 날씨가 춥다더라.
They say the weather is cold these days.

그 가게가 문을 닫았다더라.
They say that store closed.

내일 회의가 있다더라고요.
They say there's a meeting tomorrow.

그 일이 어렵다더라.
They say that work is difficult.

Key Characteristics¶

Reporting: - More neutral than -다던데 - Less likely to lead to suggestions - Simply sharing information - Can sound gossipy in some contexts

Common shortened forms¶

-다래 (casual shortening):

맛있다래. (맛있다더라)
They say it's delicious.

간다래. (간다더라)
They say (they're) going.

-다래요 (polite shortened):

좋다래요.
They say it's good.

Usage Context¶

Passing on information:

사장님이 내일 회의 있다래요.
The boss says there's a meeting tomorrow.

Sharing what others said:

친구가 그거 재미있다더라.
My friend said that's fun.

-다고 들었다 (I heard that...)¶

Formation¶

All verbs: - -다고 들었다: statement + 고 들었다

Action verbs (present): - -ㄴ/는다고 들었다: 간다고 들었어요

Descriptive verbs: - -다고 들었다: 좋다고 들었어요

Past tense: - -았/었다고 들었다: 갔다고 들었어요

Noun: - 이라고 들었다 / 라고 들었다

Usage¶

Formal way to report hearsay. More objective and professional:

Examples:

그 회사가 유명하다고 들었어요.
I heard that company is famous.

내일 회의가 있다고 들었습니다.
I heard there's a meeting tomorrow.

그 식당이 맛있다고 들었어요.
I heard that restaurant is delicious.

이 제품이 좋다고 들었어요.
I heard this product is good.

그분이 교수님이라고 들었어요.
I heard that person is a professor.

Key Characteristics¶

Formal reporting: - Professional tone - Clear information sourcing - Less conversational - Appropriate for business/formal settings

Usage Context¶

Professional settings:

이번 프로젝트가 중요하다고 들었습니다.
I heard this project is important.

Polite inquiries:

이 근처에 우체국이 있다고 들었는데, 어디에 있나요?
I heard there's a post office nearby—where is it?

When you need to sound careful:

그 소문은 사실이 아니라고 들었어요.
I heard that rumor isn't true.

Comparing the Three¶

Same information, different tones:¶

그 식당이 맛있다던데. I heard that restaurant is good. (casual, suggesting we try it)

그 식당이 맛있다더라. They say that restaurant is good. (neutral sharing)

그 식당이 맛있다고 들었어요. I heard that restaurant is good. (polite, formal)

Usage situations:¶

Casual conversation with friends:

✓ 저기 맛있다던데, 가볼까?
~ 저기 맛있다더라.
✗ 저기 맛있다고 들었어요. (too formal)

Professional email:

✗ 회의가 있다던데요. (too casual)
✗ 회의가 있다더라고요. (inappropriate)
✓ 회의가 있다고 들었습니다.

Practice Exercises¶

Exercise 1: Choose the Pattern¶

Select -다던데, -다더라, or -다고 들었다:

Casual conversation, suggesting a restaurant.
Professional email about a schedule change.
Sharing gossip with a friend.
Polite inquiry at an office.
Making a suggestion based on a recommendation.

Exercise 2: Complete the Sentences¶

그 영화가 재미_____ (있다 - casual, suggesting)
사장님이 내일 안 오_____ (오다 - reporting)
이 근처에 병원이 _____ (있다 - formal inquiry)
날씨가 좋_____ (좋다 - casual sharing)
그 사람이 선생님_____ (이다 - neutral reporting)

Exercise 3: Translate¶

I heard that cafe is good. (casual, suggesting)
They say he's moving to Seoul. (neutral)
I heard the meeting is tomorrow. (formal)
I heard there's a good restaurant here. (casual, suggesting)
They say that movie is boring. (neutral)

Exercise 4: Situation-Based¶

What would you say?

Telling your friend about a good restaurant you heard about, suggesting you go.
In a business meeting, reporting what you heard about the schedule.
Sharing with your roommate that your mutual friend is getting married.
Asking politely at an office about operating hours you heard about.
Telling your friend what someone said about a new phone.

Answer Key

Exercise 1: 1. -다던데 (suggesting) 2. -다고 들었다 (professional) 3. -다더라 (gossip/sharing) 4. -다고 들었다 (polite inquiry) 5. -다던데 (suggestion)

Exercise 2: 1. 있다던데 (요) 2. 신다더라 / 신다래 (요) 3. 있다고 들었는데요 4. 다던데 / 다더라 5. 이라더라 / 이래

Exercise 3: 1. 저 카페가 좋다던데 (요) 2. 서울로 이사 간다더라 / 간다래 3. 내일 회의가 있다고 들었습니다/어요 4. 여기 좋은 식당이 있다던데 (요) 5. 그 영화가 재미없다더라 / 없다래

Exercise 4: 1. 저 식당이 맛있다던데, 거기 가볼까? 2. 일정이 변경되었다고 들었습니다 3. 우리 친구가 결혼한다더라 / 한다래 4. 여기 영업시간이 9시까지라고 들었는데, 맞나요? 5. 그 휴대폰이 좋다더라 / 좋다래

Additional Patterns¶

-다고 하던데¶

Combination of -다고 하다 + -던데:

친구가 거기 좋다고 하던데.
My friend said it's good there. (and I'm mentioning it now)

-다면서요?¶

Confirmation question:

거기 맛있다면서요?
I heard it's delicious there—is that right?

-다고 해서¶

Because someone said:

친구가 좋다고 해서 샀어요.
I bought it because my friend said it's good.

Common Mistakes¶

1. Using -던데 for direct speech:

❌ 민수가 "안녕"이라던데. (don't use for direct quotes)
✓ 민수가 "안녕"이라고 했어.

2. Formality mismatch:

❌ 회의가 있다던데요. (in formal email)
✓ 회의가 있다고 들었습니다.

3. Wrong verb form:

❌ 가더라던데 (mixing -더라 and -던데)
✓ 간다던데 OR 간다더라

Natural Usage Tips¶

Use -다던데 when making suggestions: ...다던데, 어때?
Use -다더라 for gossip or casual sharing: ...다더라, 알아?
Use -다고 들었다 in professional contexts
Shorten -다더라 to -다래** in very casual speech
Add question tags: -다던데요? / -다더라고요?

Cultural Note¶

Information Sourcing¶

Korean culture values knowing where information comes from:

Hearsay patterns show you're not claiming direct knowledge
Shows humility (not claiming to know everything)
Shows responsibility (distinguishing fact from rumor)
Creates social connection (sharing what you heard invites discussion)

Gossip Culture¶

These patterns are essential for: - Sharing news in social groups - Making indirect suggestions - Avoiding direct recommendations (if it turns out to be wrong, you're just reporting what you heard)

Professional Use¶

In business: - -다고 들었습니다 maintains professionalism - Shows you verified information - Allows for correction if information is wrong - More careful than stating as fact

Example comparison:

내일 회의가 있어요. (stating as fact)
내일 회의가 있다고 들었어요. (reporting, more careful)

The second version protects you if you're wrong and sounds more humble.

Use these patterns frequently—they're essential for natural Korean communication!