-냐고/-느냐고 is used to quote questions in indirect speech. It means "whether..." or "if..." and allows you to report what someone asked.
Structure
Verb/Adjective stem + -냐고/-느냐고 (묻다/물어보다)
Breakdown:
- -냐고/-느냐고: Quotation ending for questions
- 묻다/물어보다: To ask
Literal meaning: "Asking whether/if..."
Basic Forms
For Action Verbs
Present: Verb stem + -냐고/-느냐고
- 가다 → 가냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] goes)
- 먹다 → 먹느냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] eats)
Past: Verb stem + -았/었냐고
- 가다 → 갔냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] went)
- 먹다 → 먹었냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] ate)
Future: Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 거냐고
- 가다 → 갈 거냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] will go)
- 먹다 → 먹을 거냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] will eat)
For Adjectives
Present: Adjective stem + -냐고
- 좋다 → 좋냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether it's good)
- 크다 → 크냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether it's big)
Past: Adjective stem + -았/었냐고
- 좋다 → 좋았냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether it was good)
- 크다 → 컸냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether it was big)
For Noun + 이다
이다: Noun + (이)냐고
- 학생이다 → 학생이냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] is a student)
- 의사다 → 의사냐고 물어요 (asks if/whether [someone] is a doctor)
Detailed Conjugation Rules
Present Tense Action Verbs
Consonant stem: -느냐고
- 먹다 → 먹느냐고
- 읽다 → 읽느냐고
- 듣다 → 듣느냐고
- 받다 → 받느냐고
Vowel stem or ㄹ ending: -냐고
- 가다 → 가냐고
- 오다 → 오냐고
- 만들다 → 만드냐고
- 살다 → 사냐고
Present Tense Adjectives
All adjectives: -냐고
- 좋다 → 좋냐고
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘냐고
- 크다 → 크냐고
- 작다 → 작냐고
- 바쁘다 → 바쁘냐고
Past Tense (Verbs and Adjectives)
ㅏ/ㅗ vowel: -았냐고
- 가다 → 갔냐고
- 좋다 → 좋았냐고
- 오다 → 왔냐고
Other vowels: -었냐고
- 먹다 → 먹었냐고
- 크다 → 컸냐고
- 읽다 → 읽었냐고
하다 verbs: -했냐고
- 공부하다 → 공부했냐고
- 일하다 → 일했냐고
Future Tense
Consonant stem: -(으)ㄹ 거냐고
- 먹다 → 먹을 거냐고
- 읽다 → 읽을 거냐고
Vowel stem or ㄹ: -ㄹ 거냐고
- 가다 → 갈 거냐고
- 만들다 → 만들 거냐고
Reporting Verbs
묻다 (To ask)
Most common for questions:
- 어디 가냐고 물었어요 (Asked where I'm going)
- 왜 안 왔냐고 물었어요 (Asked why I didn't come)
물어보다 (To ask/inquire)
More casual/conversational:
- 이름이 뭐냐고 물어봤어요 (Asked what my name is)
- 언제 오냐고 물어봤어요 (Asked when I'm coming)
궁금하다 (To be curious/wonder)
Expressing wonder:
- 왜 안 오냐고 궁금해요 (Wonder why [someone] isn't coming)
- 어디 사냐고 궁금했어요 (Was curious where [someone] lives)
Other Verbs
- 질문하다 (to question): 뭐냐고 질문했어요
- 따지다 (to question critically): 왜 그랬냐고 따졌어요
Common Question Words with -냐고
뭐 (What)
- 뭐냐고 물었어요 (Asked what it is)
- 이름이 뭐냐고 물었어요 (Asked what the name is)
누구 (Who)
- 누구냐고 물었어요 (Asked who it is)
- 저 사람이 누구냐고 물었어요 (Asked who that person is)
어디 (Where)
- 어디 가냐고 물었어요 (Asked where I'm going)
- 어디 사냐고 물었어요 (Asked where I live)
언제 (When)
- 언제 오냐고 물었어요 (Asked when I'm coming)
- 언제 했냐고 물었어요 (Asked when I did it)
왜 (Why)
- 왜 안 왔냐고 물었어요 (Asked why I didn't come)
- 왜 그랬냐고 물었어요 (Asked why I did that)
어떻게 (How)
- 어떻게 했냐고 물었어요 (Asked how I did it)
- 어떻게 아냐고 물었어요 (Asked how I know)
얼마 (How much)
- 얼마냐고 물었어요 (Asked how much it is)
- 얼마나 걸리냐고 물었어요 (Asked how long it takes)
Yes/No Questions
Direct → Indirect
Direct question: "바빠요?" Indirect: 바쁘냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm busy)
Direct question: "갔어요?" Indirect: 갔냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I went)
Direct question: "학생이에요?" Indirect: 학생이냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm a student)
WH-Questions
Quoting Information Questions
What are you doing?
- 뭐 하냐고 물었어요
Where are you going?
- 어디 가냐고 물었어요
When did you come?
- 언제 왔냐고 물었어요
Why didn't you come?
- 왜 안 왔냐고 물었어요
How did you know?
- 어떻게 아냐고 물었어요
Tense in Quoted Questions
Present Question
- 지금 뭐 하냐고 물었어요 (Asked what I'm doing now)
- 어디 사냐고 물었어요 (Asked where I live)
Past Question
- 어제 뭐 했냐고 물었어요 (Asked what I did yesterday)
- 언제 왔냐고 물었어요 (Asked when I came)
Future Question
- 내일 갈 거냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I will go tomorrow)
- 언제 올 거냐고 물었어요 (Asked when I will come)
Negative Questions
Verb Negation
안 -: 안 + Verb + -냐고
- 안 가냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm not going)
- 안 먹냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm not eating)
-지 않다: Verb + -지 않냐고
- 가지 않냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm not going)
Can't/Unable Questions
못 -: 못 + Verb + -냐고
- 못 가냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I can't go)
- 못 먹냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I can't eat)
Honorific Forms
Using -(으)시- for Respect
Present: -(으)시냐고
- 어디 가시냐고 여쭤봤어요 (Asked [honorific] where they're going)
- 언제 오시냐고 여쭤봤어요 (Asked [honorific] when they're coming)
Past: -(으)셨냐고
- 어디 가셨냐고 여쭤봤어요 (Asked [honorific] where they went)
Honorific Asking Verbs
여쭤보다/여쭙다: (Honorific form of 물어보다/묻다)
- 이름이 뭐냐고 여쭤봤어요 (Asked [respectfully] what the name is)
Special Cases
For 이다 (To be)
Present: Noun + (이)냐고
- Consonant: 학생이냐고 물었어요
- Vowel: 의사냐고 물었어요
Past: Noun + (이)었냐고/였냐고
- 학생이었냐고 물었어요
- 의사였냐고 물었어요
For 아니다 (To not be)
Present: Noun + 이/가 아니냐고
- 학생이 아니냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm not a student)
For 있다/없다
있다: 있냐고
- 돈이 있냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I have money)
없다: 없냐고
- 돈이 없냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I don't have money)
Casual Contractions
-냐고 물어요 → -냐고요
Very casual spoken:
- 뭐냐고요? (What did you say?)
- 어디 가냐고요? (Where am I going, you ask?)
Adding -요 for Politeness
When repeating question back:
- A: 어디 가?
- B: 어디 가냐고요? (Where am I going, you ask?)
Indirect Question Patterns
-(으)ㄴ/는지 vs -냐고
Both mean "whether/if":
-냐고: Used with asking verbs
- 가냐고 물었어요 (Asked if I'm going)
-(으)ㄴ/는지: More general
- 가는지 몰라요 (Don't know if [someone] is going)
Common Expressions
Asking What Someone Said
- 뭐라고 물었어요? (What did they ask?)
- 뭐라고 여쭤봤어요? (What did [you] ask [honorific]?)
Repeating Questions
- 어디 가냐고요? (Where am I going, you ask?)
- 뭐 하냐고요? (What am I doing, you ask?)
Wondering Expressions
- 왜 그러냐고 궁금해요 (Wonder why [someone] is like that)
- 언제 오냐고 궁금했어요 (Was wondering when [someone] would come)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 가요냐고 물었어요
Adding -요 before -냐고
✅ Correct: 가냐고 물었어요
Use plain form, not polite form
❌ Incorrect: 좋느냐고 물었어요
Adding -느 to adjectives
✅ Correct: 좋냐고 물었어요
Adjectives use -냐고, not -느냐고
❌ Incorrect: 학생냐고 물었어요
Missing copula particle
✅ Correct: 학생이냐고 물었어요
Use (이)냐고 with nouns
Summary Table
| Type | Form | Example | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Verb - Present | -(느)냐고 | 가냐고 물어요 | Asks if he goes |
| Action Verb - Past | -았/었냐고 | 갔냐고 물어요 | Asks if he went |
| Action Verb - Future | -(으)ㄹ 거냐고 | 갈 거냐고 물어요 | Asks if he will go |
| Adjective - Present | -냐고 | 좋냐고 물어요 | Asks if it's good |
| Adjective - Past | -았/었냐고 | 좋았냐고 물어요 | Asks if it was good |
| Noun (이다) | (이)냐고 | 학생이냐고 물어요 | Asks if he's a student |
| Negative | 안/지 않냐고 | 안 가냐고 물어요 | Asks if not going |
| Honorific | -(으)시냐고 | 가시냐고 여쭤봐요 | Asks [hon.] if going |
| WH-Question | 뭐/어디/왜 + 냐고 | 뭐냐고 물어요 | Asks what it is |