-대요/래요 is used to relay information you heard from someone else. It means "I heard that," "they said," or "according to..."
Structure
Statement/Question + -대요/래요
Breakdown:
- -대: From -다고 해요 (contracted)
- -래: From -라고 해요 (contracted)
- 요: Polite ending
Literal meaning: "They say that..."
Basic Forms
-대요 (Statements and Questions)
From -다고 해요:
- 간대요 (I heard they're going)
- 좋대요 (I heard it's good)
- 학생이래요 (I heard they're a student)
-래요 (Commands and Suggestions)
From -라고 해요:
- 가래요 (They told me to go)
- 먹으래요 (They told me to eat)
- 하래요 (They told me to do it)
Conjugation Patterns
For Statements (Declarative)
Present Tense: Verb stem + -ㄴ대/는대요
After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄴ대요
- 가다 → 간대요 (I heard they go)
- 오다 → 온대요 (I heard they come)
- 만들다 → 만든대요 (I heard they make)
After consonant: -는대요
- 먹다 → 먹는대요 (I heard they eat)
- 읽다 → 읽는대요 (I heard they read)
하다 verbs: -ㄴ대요
- 공부하다 → 공부한대요 (I heard they study)
For Adjectives
Present: -(으)ㄴ대요
After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄴ대요
- 크다 → 크대요 (I heard it's big)
- 작다 → 작대요 (I heard it's small)
After consonant: -은대요
- 좋다 → 좋대요 (I heard it's good)
- 많다 → 많대요 (I heard there's a lot)
Past Tense: -았/었대요
All verbs and adjectives:
- 갔대요 (I heard they went)
- 먹었대요 (I heard they ate)
- 좋았대요 (I heard it was good)
- 공부했대요 (I heard they studied)
Future Tense: -(으)ㄹ 거래요
Will do:
- 갈 거래요 (I heard they will go)
- 먹을 거래요 (I heard they will eat)
- 할 거래요 (I heard they will do)
For Questions: -(느)냐고/냐고 → -냬요
Reporting Questions
Shortened form: -냬요 (from -냐고 해요)
Examples:
- 가냬요 (I heard they asked if you're going)
- 뭐 하냬요 (I heard they asked what you're doing)
- 어디 가냬요 (I heard they asked where you're going)
Less common: Full form -(느)냐고 해요
- 가냐고 해요 (They asked if you're going)
For Commands: -래요
Relaying Commands
Pattern: Verb stem + -래요 (from -라고 해요)
Examples:
- 가래요 (They told me to go)
- 오래요 (They told me to come)
- 먹으래요 (They told me to eat)
- 하래요 (They told me to do it)
- 빨리 하래요 (They told me to hurry)
Usage: Reporting someone's command or request
Politeness Levels
Polite (해요체)
- 간대요 (I heard they go)
- 가래요 (They told me to go)
- 가냬요 (They asked if you're going)
Casual (반말)
- 간대 (I heard they go)
- 가래 (They told me to go)
- 가냬 (They asked if you're going)
Note: -대요/래요 is inherently casual/informal reporting style
Common Usage
Relaying Information
Sharing what you heard:
- 내일 비 온대요 (I heard it will rain tomorrow)
- 그 식당 맛있대요 (I heard that restaurant is delicious)
- 시험 어렵대요 (I heard the exam is difficult)
- 새 영화 재미있대요 (I heard the new movie is fun)
Gossip and News
Informal reporting:
- 그 사람 결혼한대요 (I heard that person got married)
- 회사 그만둔대요 (I heard they quit their job)
- 이사 간대요 (I heard they moved)
- 유학 간대요 (I heard they went to study abroad)
Relaying Messages
Passing on what someone said:
- 엄마가 빨리 오래요 (Mom told me to come quickly)
- 선생님이 숙제 내래요 (Teacher said to submit homework)
- 친구가 만나재요 (Friend wants to meet)
- 전화하래요 (They told me to call)
With Specific Subjects
Including Who Said It
Pattern: [Person]이/가 + -대요/래요
Examples:
- 친구가 재미있대요 (My friend says it's fun)
- 선생님이 어렵대요 (The teacher says it's difficult)
- 엄마가 오래요 (Mom told me to come)
- 동생이 배고프대요 (My younger sibling says they're hungry)
Negative Forms
Negative Statements
Pattern: 안 + verb + -대요
Examples:
- 안 간대요 (I heard they're not going)
- 안 좋대요 (I heard it's not good)
- 안 먹는대요 (I heard they don't eat)
Alternative: -지 않는대요
- 가지 않는대요 (I heard they're not going)
- 좋지 않대요 (I heard it's not good)
Past Negative
Didn't:
- 안 갔대요 (I heard they didn't go)
- 안 먹었대요 (I heard they didn't eat)
- 안 했대요 (I heard they didn't do it)
Contrast with Similar Forms
-대요 vs -다고 해요
-대요: Shortened, casual (contracted)
- 좋대요 (I heard it's good)
- → More casual, natural
-다고 해요: Full form, slightly more formal
- 좋다고 해요 (They say it's good)
- → More complete, clear
-대요 vs 것 같대요
-대요: Direct hearsay
- 비 온대요 (I heard it rains)
- → Someone told me
것 같대요: Reported opinion
- 비 올 것 같대요 (I heard they think it will rain)
- → Someone's opinion/guess
Common Expressions
Daily Life
- 재미있대요 (I heard it's fun)
- 맛있대요 (I heard it's delicious)
- 비싸대요 (I heard it's expensive)
- 어렵대요 (I heard it's difficult)
Weather
- 내일 비 온대요 (I heard it will rain tomorrow)
- 춥대요 (I heard it's cold)
- 더운대요 (I heard it's hot)
- 눈 온대요 (I heard it will snow)
Plans
- 내일 못 온대요 (I heard they can't come tomorrow)
- 늦는대요 (I heard they're running late)
- 갈 거래요 (I heard they will go)
- 안 간대요 (I heard they're not going)
Commands Relayed
- 빨리 오래요 (They told me to come quickly)
- 전화하래요 (They told me to call)
- 조용히 하래요 (They told me to be quiet)
- 기다리래요 (They told me to wait)
Question Form (Rare)
Asking About Hearsay
Pattern: -대요? / -래요?
Examples:
- 정말 간대요? (Did you really hear they're going?)
- 그렇게 말했대요? (Did they really say that?)
Note: Less common, usually just statement form
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Weather
A: 내일 날씨 어때요?
(How's the weather tomorrow?)
B: 비 온대요. 우산 가져가세요.
(I heard it will rain. Bring an umbrella.)
Dialogue 2: Restaurant
A: 이 식당 어때요?
(How is this restaurant?)
B: 친구가 맛있대요. 한번 가볼까요?
(My friend says it's delicious. Shall we try it?)
Dialogue 3: Message
A: 엄마 뭐래요?
(What did Mom say?)
B: 빨리 집에 오래요.
(She told me to come home quickly.)
Dialogue 4: News
A: 지수 어디 갔어요?
(Where did Jisoo go?)
B: 유학 갔대요. 내년에 온대요.
(I heard she went to study abroad. She'll come back next year.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 가요대요
Wrong ending combination
✅ Correct: 간대요
Use proper contraction
❌ Incorrect: 가다대요
No verb ending
✅ Correct: 간대요
Need conjugated form
Usage Notes
When to Use -대요/래요
Appropriate situations:
- Casual conversations with friends
- Relaying informal information
- Gossip or news
- Passing on messages
- Everyday hearsay
Avoid in:
- Formal writing
- Official reports
- Professional settings
- Academic papers
Better for formal: -다고 합니다
Summary Table
| Type | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement Present | -(는)대요 | 간대요 | I heard they go |
| Statement Past | -았/었대요 | 갔대요 | I heard they went |
| Statement Future | -(으)ㄹ 거래요 | 갈 거래요 | I heard they will go |
| Command | -래요 | 가래요 | They told me to go |
| Question | -냬요 | 가냬요 | They asked if going |
| Adjective | -(으)ㄴ대요 | 좋대요 | I heard it's good |
Key Takeaways
✅ Reports hearsay: "I heard that..." / "They said..."
✅ Casual reporting: Informal style for everyday speech
✅ Three main forms: -대요 (statements), -래요 (commands), -냬요 (questions)
✅ Contracted from: -다고 해요, -라고 해요, -냐고 해요
✅ Common in conversation: Natural way to share information
✅ Not for formal contexts: Use -다고 합니다 instead
-대요/래요 is essential for casual reporting and relaying information in Korean. It's the natural, everyday way to share what you've heard from others, making conversations flow smoothly when passing on news, messages, or gossip.