-다고 하다 vs -대요: What Is the Difference?

Key facts

• -다고 하다 is the full form of indirect speech. It turns a statement into a clause and can continue into longer sentences: 온다고 해서, 온다고 하는.
• -대요 is the short, spoken form. It stands for -다고 해요, and the same idea gives -냬요, -재요 and -래요 for questions, suggestions and commands.
• Rule of thumb: use -대요 in speech and -다고 하다 in writing, in formal talk and before a connector.
• Only the verb 하다 contracts. 온다고 말해요 stays in full.

What you'll learn

• Say how -다고 하다 and -대요 relate and when each one fits.
• Turn a full indirect-speech sentence into -대요, -냬요, -재요 or -래요.
• Choose the right form for five sentences and give the reason.
• Avoid the main traps: 대요 versus 데요, forms for verbs and adjectives, and the double meaning of 래요.

Before you start: you should know the polite ending -아요/어요 and the plain style that ends in -다 (먹는다, 간다). The full rules for each pattern are on their own lesson pages, named below. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Is the Difference between -다고 하다 and -대요?

The difference is the length of the form. Indirect speech means passing on someone's words without quoting them. In Korean you quote the words in their plain style, add -고, and finish with 하다 ("to say"). That gives the full form -다고 하다. In everyday speech, 다고 하 is squashed into one syllable, 대, and the sentence ends in 요. That gives -대요.

Here are two sentences with one meaning.

Pronunciation: [민수가 온다고 해요]. This is the full form. It is clear, a little formal, and it works everywhere.

Pronunciation: [민수가 온대요]. This is the contraction. It is shorter, more natural in a chat, and the form most learners hear first.

Both sentences report what Minsu said or what you heard about him. The contraction adds no new meaning. It only makes the sentence quicker to say. The next section lines the two forms up in a table.

-다고 하다 vs -대요: Side-by-Side Table

The table compares the two forms on the points that decide the choice.

How Do the Four Contractions Work?

The contraction depends on what was said. Each kind of sentence has its own full form and its own short form. The rule is always the same: the end of the quoted part (다고, 냐고, 자고, 라고) and the first letter of 하다 squash together into one syllable.

For a verb statement, use -ㄴ다고 after a vowel and -는다고 after a consonant: 가다 gives 간다고, and 먹다 gives 먹는다고 [멍는다고]. A stem that ends in ㄹ drops it: 살다 gives 산다고, and 만들다 gives 만든다고. Adjectives, 있다 and 없다 take plain -다고: 비싸다고, 있다고. After a noun, use 이라고 after a consonant and 라고 after a vowel: 선생님이라고, 의사라고. The short form follows: 선생님이래요, 의사래요.

When Do You Use -다고 하다?

Use the full form when you write, when you speak formally, or when the reported part must be followed by something else. It is the form that can continue into a longer sentence, which the short form usually cannot.

Here are four typical uses.

1. Before a connector. 비가 온다고 해서 우산을 가져왔어요. (biga ondago haeseo usaneul gajyeowasseoyo) "They said it would rain, so I brought an umbrella." Pronunciation: [비가 온다고 해서 우사늘 가저와써요].
2. Formal speech. 사장님이 내일 오신다고 합니다. (sajangnimi naeil osindago hamnida) "I am told that the president will come tomorrow." Pronunciation: [사장니미 내일 오신다고 함니다]. The honorific -(으)시- stays inside the quoted part.
3. Changing pronouns. 민수가 자기는 내일 간다고 해요. (minsuga jagineun naeil gandago haeyo) "Minsu says he is going tomorrow." If Minsu said 저는 내일 가요, the word 저 ("I") becomes 자기는 or 그는 when you report it.
4. Writing. 많은 사람들이 그렇게 생각한다고 한다. (maneun saramdeuri geureoke saenggakandago handa) "Many people are said to think so." In an essay or a news report, the plain full form ends in -다고 한다.

Notice that in every sentence the reported part keeps its own tense and ending style. The reported past is 갔다고, the reported future is 갈 거라고, and the polite ending 요 never goes inside the quotation. For the full rules, read the lesson on -(느)ㄴ다고 하다.

When Do You Use -대요?

Use the contraction in ordinary conversation, when you pass on news or gossip. It is the normal way to say "I heard that...". It sounds natural and a little lighter than the full form, and it ends the sentence.

Here are five typical uses.

1. News about the weather. 내일 비가 온대요. (naeil biga ondaeyo) "I hear it will rain tomorrow."
2. A price. 그 식당이 비싸대요. (geu sikdangi bissadaeyo) "I hear that restaurant is expensive." Pronunciation: [그 식땅이 비싸대요].
3. Something in the past. 어제 눈이 왔대요. (eoje nuni watdaeyo) "I hear it snowed yesterday." Pronunciation: [어제 누니 왇때요].
4. Something in the future. 민수는 내일 올 거래요. (minsuneun naeil ol georaeyo) "Minsu says he will come tomorrow." Pronunciation: [민수는 내일 올꺼래요].
5. A noun. 저분이 선생님이래요. (jeobuni seonsaengnimiraeyo) "They say that person is a teacher." Pronunciation: [저부니 선생니미래요].

To a close friend, drop the 요: 민수가 온대, 어제 눈이 왔대. A very common question in this family is 뭐래요? (mworaeyo?), a contraction of 뭐라고 해요, which means "What did he say?" For the full rules, read the lesson on the short forms -대요, -냬요, -재요 and -래요.

What about Questions, Suggestions and Commands?

The same idea works for the other three kinds of sentence. Compare the full form and the short form for each.

• Question. 엄마가 언제 오냐고 해요. → 엄마가 언제 오냬요. (eommaga eonje onyaeyo) "Mum is asking when you are coming."
• Suggestion. 친구가 같이 가자고 해요. → 친구가 같이 가재요. (chinguga gachi gajaeyo) "My friend says let's go together." Pronunciation: [친구가 가치 가재요].
• Command. 선생님이 일찍 오라고 해요. → 선생님이 일찍 오래요. (seonsaengnimi iljjik oraeyo) "The teacher says to come early." Pronunciation: [선생니미 일찍 오래요].

Can You Use Both in the Same Sentence?

The two forms are the same idea, so they are two ways of saying one sentence, and often both are fine. In a chat, a speaker may use the contraction and then switch to the full form when a connector is needed. 내일 비가 온대요. 비가 온다고 해서 우산을 샀어요. ("I hear it will rain tomorrow. They said it would rain, so I bought an umbrella.")

The choice follows the position in the sentence. At the end of a sentence in speech, the contraction is the natural pick. Before a connector, a modifier or a particle, the full form is the safe pick: 온다고 해서, 온다고 하는 사람. Contractions in these positions do exist in casual speech (온대서), but a learner should master the full form first.

How Does a Conversation Use Both?

A short dialogue shows how the two forms work in real talk. Two coworkers talk about a visitor.

A: 내일 누가 와요? (naeil nuga wayo?) "Who is coming tomorrow?"

B: 사장님이 오신대요. (sajangnimi osindaeyo.) "I hear the president is coming."

A: 사장님이 오신다고 해서 다들 바빠요. (sajangnimi osindago haeseo dadeul bappayo.) "Everyone is busy because they say the president is coming."

B reports in the short form at the end of a reply. A uses the full form because 해서 follows. The conversation would sound stiff if B answered 오신다고 해요 in a casual chat, and it would sound clipped if A tried to squeeze a connector onto -대요.

Which One Should You Pick? a Simple Rule of Thumb

Ask three questions in order.

1. Are you speaking casually and ending the sentence? If yes, use -대요 (or -냬요, -재요, -래요). Example: 민수가 온대요.
2. Are you writing, speaking formally, or adding a connector? If yes, use the full form -다고 하다. Example: 민수가 온다고 해서 기뻐요.
3. Are you unsure which kind of sentence it was? Check the original. A statement gives -대요, a question gives -냬요, a suggestion gives -재요 and a command gives -래요.

When you are not sure, use the full form. It is always correct, and the contraction is only a shortcut.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with These Two?

Most mistakes come from mixing the contraction with other endings. Five of them appear again and again.

1. Writing 데요 for 대요. 민수가 온데요 is wrong when you report. The reporting ending is 대요 (민수가 온대요). A similar-sounding ending, -던데요, belongs to a different pattern, for what you saw yourself; see the page on -더라고요 vs -던데요.
2. Contracting a verb other than 하다. Only 하다 contracts. 민수가 온다고 말했어요 stays in full, and 민수가 온대 말했어요 is wrong.
3. Using the wrong statement form. A verb takes -ㄴ/는 and an adjective does not. Say 먹는대요, not 먹대요, and 예쁘대요, not 예쁜대요.
4. Mixing up the two meanings of 래요. 선생님이래요 comes from N이라고 해요 and means "they say he is a teacher". 일찍 오래요 comes from 오라고 해요 and means "he says to come early". The context tells you which.
5. Forgetting the pronoun change. If Minsu said 저는 학생이에요, report it as 민수가 자기는 학생이래요, not 민수가 저는 학생이래요, because 저 would then mean you.

A quick self-check: say the full form first, then squash 다고 하 into 대. If the squashed form is 대, 냬, 재 or 래, the contraction is right.

Practice: Choose the Right Form

Try the five questions, then read the answers below.

Answer key

1. 민수가 온대요. A verb statement gets -ㄴ/는 before 대요, and 오다 gives 온.
2. 비싸대요. An adjective takes plain -다고, which contracts to -대요.
3. 같이 가재요. A suggestion with -자고 contracts to -재요.
4. 오래요. A command with -(으)라고 contracts to -래요.
5. 민수가 온대 말했어요. Only 하다 contracts, so 말했어요 cannot follow 대.

Now write your own pair: one piece of news you heard, with -대요, and the same news in the full form with a connector.

What Should You Learn Next?

After this comparison, study the reported-speech patterns in order, then look at the other pairs on the list.

1. Learn the full rules for -(느)ㄴ다고 하다 and for the -대요 contractions, then browse the whole reported speech section.
2. Compare the reporting ending with the seen-it-myself ending in -더라고요 vs -던데요.
3. Compare other confusable pairs on Confusing Grammar Compared.
4. See where both forms sit on the Intermediate Grammar list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference between -다고 하다 and -대요?

They mean the same thing: someone says that something is so. -다고 하다 is the full form of indirect speech, and -대요 is its spoken contraction. The same shortening gives -냬요 for questions, -재요 for suggestions and -래요 for commands.

Can I Always Replace -다고 하다 with -대요?

No. The contraction works only when the reporting verb is 하다 and the form ends the sentence in speech. Before a connector, as in 온다고 해서, the full form is the safe choice. In formal speech and writing, use the full form too: 온다고 합니다, 온다고 한다.

Which One Sounds More Natural in Speech?

-대요 is the natural way to pass on news in everyday conversation. With a close friend you can drop the 요 and say 온대. The full form sounds a little more careful, and it is common in formal talk, in news reports and in essays.

Which One Appears More Often on TOPIK?

This site does not publish exam statistics. Both forms are taught at the intermediate stage. For current exam content, check the level descriptions and past papers on the official TOPIK site, topik.go.kr.

What Is the Quickest Rule to Remember?

Use -대요 when you are chatting and the sentence ends. Use -다고 하다 when you are writing, speaking formally or adding a connector. If you are not sure, the full form is always correct.

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