πŸ“˜ Grammar 46: How to Use ~λŒ€μš” – Quoting Someone in Korean

πŸ“˜ How to Use ~λŒ€μš” – Quoting Someone in Korean

Want to say “She said it’s delicious,” “He said he’s busy,” or “They said they’ll come tomorrow” in Korean?

Then you should learn how to use ~λŒ€μš”, one of the most common and useful grammar patterns in Korean for quoting what someone else said.

This structure is perfect for sharing what you heard from others in a conversational and casual tone.

πŸ“Œ What Does ~λŒ€μš” Mean?

~λŒ€μš” is a contraction of ~λ‹€κ³  ν•΄μš” and is used to quote someone else’s statement (indirect speech).

It means:

  • ✔️ “They say that...”
  • ✔️ “I heard that...”
  • ✔️ “He/she said...”

Structure:

  • Descriptive verb + λŒ€μš”
  • Action verb (present) + γ„΄/λŠ”λŒ€μš”
  • Past tense + μ•˜/μ—ˆλŒ€μš”
  • Noun + (이)λž˜μš”

πŸ“˜ Example Sentences

  • λ§›μžˆλŒ€μš” – They said it’s delicious
    ma-sit-dae-yo
  • μ§€κΈˆ κ°„λŒ€μš” – He said he’s going now
    ji-geum gan-dae-yo
  • λ°”λΉ΄λŒ€μš” – I heard he was busy
    ba-ppat-dae-yo
  • ν•™μƒμ΄λž˜μš” – They said (he) is a student
    hak-saeng-i-rae-yo

πŸ“Š Grammar Table – ~λŒ€μš” Summary

Type Form Example Meaning
Descriptive verb ~λŒ€μš” μ˜ˆμ˜λŒ€μš” They say she’s pretty
Action verb (present) ~γ„΄/λŠ”λŒ€μš” κ°„λŒ€μš” / λ¨ΉλŠ”λŒ€μš” They say (he) goes / eats
Past tense ~μ•˜/μ—ˆλŒ€μš” λ΄€λŒ€μš” They said they saw it
Noun (이닀) ~(이)λž˜μš” ν•™μƒμ΄λž˜μš” They said (he) is a student

πŸ’‘ When to Use ~λŒ€μš”

  • ✔️ When quoting what someone else said (indirectly)
  • ✔️ In casual or semi-formal speech
  • ✔️ When retelling someone’s opinion or statement

Examples:

  • κ·Έ 식당 λ§›μžˆλŒ€μš” – They say that restaurant is good
  • 내일 μ˜¨λŒ€μš” – I heard they’re coming tomorrow

❗ Common Mistakes

  • ❌ κ°„λ‹€κ³  ν•΄μš” (too formal for casual speech) → ✅ κ°„λŒ€μš”
  • ❌ μ˜ˆμ˜λ‹€κ³  ν•΄μš” (long form) → ✅ μ˜ˆμ˜λŒ€μš”
  • Don't confuse ~λŒ€μš” with ~λ”λΌκ³ μš” (which is for your own experience)

πŸ§ͺ Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

  1. How do you say “They say it’s spicy”?
    a) λ§΅λŒ€μš”
    b) λ§΅λ”λΌκ³ μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) λ§΅λŒ€μš”

  2. Translate: “I heard he is coming.”
    a) μ˜¨λŒ€μš”
    b) μ˜€λ”λΌκ³ μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) μ˜¨λŒ€μš”

  3. Which is correct to quote “He was tired”?
    a) ν”Όκ³€ν•˜λŒ€μš”
    b) ν”Όκ³€ν–ˆλŒ€μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) ν”Όκ³€ν–ˆλŒ€μš”


✅ Conclusion

Now you can quote others easily using ~λŒ€μš” in Korean!

  • Use ~λŒ€μš” for descriptive verbs (adjectives)
  • Use ~γ„΄/λŠ”λŒ€μš” for present action verbs
  • Use ~μ•˜/μ—ˆλŒ€μš” for past tense
  • Use ~(이)λž˜μš” for nouns

Practice these:

  • “I heard it’s fun” → μž¬λ―ΈμžˆλŒ€μš”
  • “They said she’s a doctor” → μ˜μ‚¬λž˜μš”


πŸ“˜ Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~냐고 ν•΄μš” – Quoting Questions in Korean
Learn how to say “He asked if I’m busy,” “She asked what time it is,” and more!

Related Keywords:
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