-(으)라고 하다 - Tell to

-(으)라고 하다 is used to report commands, requests, or instructions that someone gave. It means "tell to" or "told to" in English.

Structure

Verb stem + -(으)라고 하다

Breakdown:

• -(으)라고: Quotation marker for commands
• 하다: To say/tell

Literal meaning: "Tell [someone] to [do verb]"

Formation Rules

Basic Commands: -(으)라고 하다

Stem ending in vowel or ㄹ + -라고 하다:

• 가다 → 가라고 해요 (tell [someone] to go)
• 하다 → 하라고 해요 (tell [someone] to do)
• 오다 → 오라고 해요 (tell [someone] to come)
• 만들다 → 만들라고 해요 (tell [someone] to make)

Stem ending in consonant + -으라고 하다:

• 먹다 → 먹으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to eat)
• 읽다 → 읽으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to read)
• 듣다 → 들으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to listen)
• 앉다 → 앉으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to sit)

Negative Commands: -지 말라고 하다

Don't do [verb]:

• 가지 말라고 해요 (tell [someone] not to go)
• 하지 말라고 해요 (tell [someone] not to do)
• 먹지 말라고 해요 (tell [someone] not to eat)
• 걱정하지 말라고 해요 (tell [someone] not to worry)

Polite Requests: -(으)시라고 하다

Honorific commands (rarely used, sounds odd):

Better to use: -(으)시라고 하시다

• 가시라고 하셨어요 (told [respected person] to go)
• 하시라고 하셨어요 (told [respected person] to do)

Note: Usually better to rephrase with -(으)시라고 부탁하다 (request to do)

Alternative Polite Forms

Using 달라고 하다

Ask someone to do for you:

• 도와달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to help me)
• 가르쳐 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to teach me)
• 사 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to buy for me)

Using -(으)라고 부탁하다

Make a request:

• 가라고 부탁했어요 (Requested [them] to go)
• 하라고 부탁했어요 (Requested [them] to do)
• 도와달라고 부탁했어요 (Requested [them] to help)

Politeness Levels

Formal (합니다체)

• 가라고 합니다 (tell [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 합니다 (tell [someone] to eat)
• 하라고 합니다 (tell [someone] to do)

Polite (해요체)

• 가라고 해요 (tell [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to eat)
• 하라고 해요 (tell [someone] to do)

Casual (반말)

• 가라고 해 (tell [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 해 (tell [someone] to eat)
• 하라고 해 (tell [someone] to do)

Core Meaning: Reporting Commands

Direct Command → Indirect Command

Direct command:

• 그가 "가세요!"라고 했어요
  (He said "Go!")

Indirect command:

• 그가 가라고 했어요
  (He told me to go)

Reporting Instructions

What someone told you to do:

• 선생님이 숙제를 하라고 했어요 (The teacher told me to do homework)
• 부모님이 집에 오라고 했어요 (My parents told me to come home)
• 친구가 기다리라고 했어요 (My friend told me to wait)

Common Usage Patterns

Reporting Orders

Commands from authority figures:

• 선생님이 조용히 하라고 했어요 (The teacher told us to be quiet)
• 의사가 약을 먹으라고 했어요 (The doctor told me to take medicine)
• 부모님이 공부하라고 했어요 (My parents told me to study)

Reporting Requests

Things people asked you to do:

• 친구가 전화하라고 했어요 (My friend told me to call)
• 동생이 도와달라고 했어요 (My sibling asked me to help)
• 동료가 이메일 보내라고 했어요 (My colleague told me to send an email)

Reporting Prohibitions

What someone told you NOT to do:

• 엄마가 늦지 말라고 했어요 (Mom told me not to be late)
• 선생님이 떠들지 말라고 했어요 (The teacher told us not to talk)
• 의사가 술 마시지 말라고 했어요 (The doctor told me not to drink alcohol)

Tense Conjugations

Present Reporting

Polite: -(으)라고 해요

• 가라고 해요 (tell [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 해요 (tell [someone] to eat)
• 하라고 해요 (tell [someone] to do)

Past Reporting

Polite: -(으)라고 했어요

• 가라고 했어요 (told [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 했어요 (told [someone] to eat)
• 하라고 했어요 (told [someone] to do)

Future Reporting

Polite: -(으)라고 할 거예요

• 가라고 할 거예요 (will tell [someone] to go)
• 먹으라고 할 거예요 (will tell [someone] to eat)

Common Expressions

School/Work Instructions

• 숙제 하라고 했어요 (Told me to do homework)
• 보고서 쓰라고 했어요 (Told me to write a report)
• 일찍 오라고 했어요 (Told me to come early)
• 열심히 일하라고 했어요 (Told me to work hard)

Daily Life Commands

• 빨리 가라고 했어요 (Told me to go quickly)
• 조용히 하라고 했어요 (Told me to be quiet)
• 문 닫으라고 했어요 (Told me to close the door)
• 전화하라고 했어요 (Told me to call)

Health Instructions

• 약 먹으라고 했어요 (Told me to take medicine)
• 쉬라고 했어요 (Told me to rest)
• 운동하라고 했어요 (Told me to exercise)
• 많이 자라고 했어요 (Told me to sleep a lot)

Prohibitions

• 가지 말라고 했어요 (Told me not to go)
• 먹지 말라고 했어요 (Told me not to eat)
• 걱정하지 말라고 했어요 (Told me not to worry)
• 늦지 말라고 했어요 (Told me not to be late)

With Request Marker: -(아/어) 달라고 하다

Asking Favors

Request someone to do for you:

• 도와달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to help me)
• 가르쳐 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to teach me)
• 기다려 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to wait for me)
• 찾아 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to find for me)
• 사 달라고 했어요 (Asked [them] to buy for me)

Formation:

• 도와주다 → 도와달라고 하다
• 가르쳐 주다 → 가르쳐 달라고 하다
• 기다려 주다 → 기다려 달라고 하다

Suggesting Together: -자고 하다

Proposing Joint Action

Different pattern for "let's do":

• 가자고 했어요 (Suggested to go together)
• 먹자고 했어요 (Suggested to eat together)
• 하자고 했어요 (Suggested to do together)
• 공부하자고 했어요 (Suggested to study together)

Note: This is NOT a command but a suggestion.

Question Forms

Asking What Command Was Given

What did they tell you to do?:

• 뭐라고 했어요? (What did they say?)
• 가라고 했어요? (Did they tell you to go?)
• 뭐 하라고 했어요? (What did they tell you to do?)

Asking for Confirmation

Did they really tell you...?:

• 정말 가라고 했어요? (Did they really tell you to go?)
• 그렇게 하라고 했어요? (Did they tell you to do it that way?)

Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1: School Instructions

A: 선생님이 뭐라고 하셨어요?
(What did the teacher say?)

B: 숙제를 내일까지 하라고 하셨어요.
(They told us to do homework by tomorrow.)

Dialogue 2: Parental Command

A: 엄마가 왜 화났어요?
(Why was Mom angry?)

B: 일찍 자라고 했는데 안 잤어요.
(She told me to sleep early but I didn't.)

Dialogue 3: Prohibition

A: 의사가 뭐라고 했어요?
(What did the doctor say?)

B: 술을 마시지 말라고 했어요.
(They told me not to drink alcohol.)

Dialogue 4: Request

A: 친구한테 뭐라고 했어요?
(What did you say to your friend?)

B: 도와달라고 했어요.
(I asked them to help me.)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 가요라고 해요

Using polite form before -라고

✅ Correct: 가라고 해요

Use basic stem

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❌ Incorrect: 먹라고 해요

Missing -으 with consonant stem

✅ Correct: 먹으라고 해요

Add -으 after consonants

---

❌ Incorrect: 도와주라고 했어요

Wrong form for request

✅ Correct: 도와달라고 했어요 or 도와주라고 했어요

Use 달라고 for favors

Usage Notes

Tone Implications

-(으)라고 하다 (direct command):

• Can sound blunt or authoritative
• Used for clear instructions or orders
• Common in hierarchical relationships

달라고 하다 (request):

• Softer, asking for favor
• More polite tone
• Used between equals or when asking up

부탁하다 (request):

• Most polite way to report request
• Formal situations
• Shows respect

When to Use Each

Use -(으)라고 하다:

• Reporting direct orders
• Instructions from authority
• Clear commands

Use 달라고 하다:

• Asking favors
• Polite requests
• Between friends/equals

Use -자고 하다:

• Suggestions for joint action
• "Let's do together"

Comparison with Similar Expressions

-(으)라고 하다 vs 달라고 하다

-(으)라고 하다 (command):

• 가라고 했어요 (Told [someone] to go - order)

달라고 하다 (request):

• 가 달라고 했어요 (Asked [someone] to go - favor)

-(으)라고 하다 vs -자고 하다

-(으)라고 하다 (command):

• 가라고 했어요 (Told me to go)

-자고 하다 (suggestion):

• 가자고 했어요 (Suggested we go together)

-(으)라고 하다 vs -다고 하다

-(으)라고 하다 (command):

• 가라고 했어요 (Told [someone] to go)

-다고 하다 (statement):

• 간다고 했어요 (Said [someone] is going)

Related Patterns Summary

Pattern	Usage	Example
-다고 하다	Statement	간다고 했어요
-냐고 하다	Question	가느냐고 했어요
-(으)라고 하다	Command	가라고 했어요
-자고 하다	Suggestion	가자고 했어요
달라고 하다	Request (favor)	가 달라고 했어요
-지 말라고 하다	Negative command	가지 말라고 했어요

Summary Table

Verb Type	Positive Command	Negative Command	Request Form
Vowel stem	가라고 해요	가지 말라고 해요	가 달라고 해요
Consonant stem	먹으라고 해요	먹지 말라고 해요	먹어 달라고 해요
하다 verb	하라고 해요	하지 말라고 해요	해 달라고 해요
ㄹ stem	만들라고 해요	만들지 말라고 해요	만들어 달라고 해요

Key Takeaways

• ✅ Reports commands: What someone told you to do
• ✅ Different forms: -(으)라고 (command), 달라고 (request), -자고 (suggestion)
• ✅ Negative: -지 말라고 하다 (tell not to do)
• ✅ Tone matters: Direct vs. request forms
• ✅ Common pattern: Essential for reporting instructions
• ✅ Vowel harmony: -라고 or -으라고 depending on stem

-(으)라고 하다 is crucial for reporting commands, instructions, and requests in Korean. Understanding when to use direct commands versus request forms helps you sound more natural and appropriate in different social contexts.