📘 Grammar 49: How to Use ~라고 해요 – Quoting Commands in Korean

📘 How to Use ~라고 해요 – Quoting Commands in Korean

Want to say “He told me to wait,” “She said to call her,” or “They told us to come early” in Korean?

Then you should learn how to use ~라고 해요, the standard Korean grammar pattern for reporting commands or instructions.

This is a must-know grammar form when you’re sharing what someone else told you or others to do.

---

📌 What Does ~라고 해요 Mean?

~라고 해요 is used for quoting someone’s **imperative (command/request)** sentence.

It means:

• ✔️ “He told me to…”
• ✔️ “They said to…”
• ✔️ “She asked us to…”

Structure:

• Action verb (base form) + 라고 해요
• For negative commands: ~지 말라고 해요

📌 This is different from “말하다” used for speech. "라고 해요" = “(they) said to...”

📘 Example Sentences

• 기다리라고 했어요 – He told me to wait
  gi-da-ri-ra-go hae-sseo-yo
• 전화하라고 했어요 – She said to call
  jeon-hwa-ha-ra-go hae-sseo-yo
• 일찍 오라고 했어요 – They said to come early
  il-jjik o-ra-go hae-sseo-yo
• 가지 말라고 했어요 – He told me not to go
  ga-ji mal-la-go hae-sseo-yo

📊 Grammar Table – ~라고 해요 Forms

Type	Form	Example	Meaning
Action Verb	~라고 해요	먹으라고 해요	(They) said to eat
Negative Command	~지 말라고 해요	하지 말라고 해요	(He) told me not to do it
Honorific	~시라고 해요	들어오시라고 해요	(They) told someone to come in (politely)

💡 Usage Tips

• Use for **commands**, **requests**, or **instructions** from others
• Don't confuse with ~대요 (used for quoting statements)
• Negative form uses ~지 말라고 해요

Compare:

• “Wait!” → 기다려!
• “He told me to wait” → 기다리라고 했어요

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 기다려라고 해요 → ✅ 기다리라고 해요
• ❌ 가라고 말했어요 (less natural) → ✅ 가라고 했어요
• Always quote the **verb root**, not the imperative form

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “He said to eat well”?
   a) 잘 먹자고 했어요
   b) 잘 먹으라고 했어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 잘 먹으라고 했어요

2. Translate: “They told me not to go.”
   a) 가지 말라고 했어요
   b) 가면 안 된다고 했어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 가지 말라고 했어요

3. Which is correct for “He told me to call him”?
   a) 전화하라고 했어요
   b) 전화해라고 했어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 전화하라고 했어요

✅ Conclusion

Now you can quote commands and requests in Korean using ~라고 해요!

• Use it when sharing what someone told you to do
• Use the base verb form + 라고 해요
• For negative commands, use ~지 말라고 해요

Practice these:

• “She said to wait” → 기다리라고 했어요
• “He told me not to eat that” → 그거 먹지 말라고 했어요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~느라고 – Explaining a Reason (Because I Was Doing...)
Learn how to say “Because I was studying, I couldn’t go,” and more!

---

Related Keywords:
learn korean, korean grammar, 라고 해요, quoting commands, indirect commands korean, korean reported speech, romanized korean