-다니(요) Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -다니(요) to verbs, adjectives and nouns, in the present and the past.
• Repeat what you heard to show surprise or disbelief.
• Use the exclamation form -다니 for "To think that...".
• Choose between -다니(요) and -(느)ㄴ다고요, and know when the ending sounds too strong.

Before you start: you should know how to find a verb or adjective stem and the plain-form endings (-ㄴ/는다 for verbs, -다 for adjectives, -(이)다 for nouns), because -다니 is built on them. It also helps to have met -군요 and -네요, the gentler endings for surprise. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does -다니(요) Grammar Mean?

-다니(요) grammar means "What? You say...?" and "To think that...". It shows that the speaker is surprised, doubtful or upset by what they have just heard. Usually the speaker repeats part of what the other person said, with -다니(요) on the end, and the tone shows the feeling.

Here are the first two examples. The pattern is the same in both.

• 벌써 간다니요? (beolsseo gandaniyo?) [벌써 간다니요] = "What, you're leaving already?"
• 그 사람이 의사라니! (geu sarami uisarani!) [그 사라미 의사라니] = "He's a doctor?!"

Look at the pieces. 간다 is the plain present form of 가다 ("he goes"), and -니요 turns it into a reaction. 의사라 is 의사 plus the plain form of 이다 (의사이다 contracts to 의사라). The ending -다니 comes from the quotative pattern -다고 하니 ("when [you] say that..."). That history explains the meaning: the speaker is reacting to words they just heard. The first sentence ends with 요, so it is polite, and a rising tone marks it as a question. The second has no 요, so it is an exclamation and the tone falls. First, the formation.

How Do You Form -다니(요)?

-다니(요) is formed on the plain form of the word. When you repeat what someone said, a verb takes -ㄴ/는다니요, an adjective takes -다니요, and a noun takes -(이)라니요. The exclamation form works on the stem: 하다니, 가다니. Delete 요 for the casual form.

The table shows one idea applied to six cases: the ending sits on the plain form of the word. Write -다니요 attached to the word before it. The next three parts look at the groups of stems one at a time.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem adds -ㄴ다니요 for a verb in the present: 가다 becomes 간다니요, 오다 becomes 온다니요, and 이사 가다 becomes 이사 간다니. An adjective adds -다니요 directly: 비싸다 becomes 비싸다니요. A noun ending in a vowel takes -라니: 의사라니.

• 그렇게 비싸다니요! (geureoke bissadaniyo!) [그러케 비싸다니요] = "How can it be that expensive!"
• 우리 집이 이사를 간다니! (uri jibi isareul gandani!) [우리 지비 이사를 간다니] = "We are moving house?!"
• 그 사람이 서울에 산다니요? (geu sarami seoure sandaniyo?) [그 사라미 서우레 산다니요] = "You say he lives in Seoul?"

The last example shows a ㄹ-stem: 살다 loses its ㄹ before ㄴ, so it becomes 산다니요. Vowel stems are the simplest case. A stem with a final consonant adds -는다니요.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem adds -는다니요 for a verb in the present: 먹다 becomes 먹는다니요, 읽다 becomes 읽는다니요, and 있다 becomes 있다니요. An adjective adds -다니요 directly: 작다 becomes 작다니요. A noun ending in a consonant takes -이라니: 학생이라니.

• 그 사람이 먹는다니요? (geu sarami meongneundaniyo?) [그 사라미 멍는다니요] = "You say he eats it?"
• 그 사람이 학생이라니요? (geu sarami haksaengiraniyo?) [그 사라미 학쌩이라니요] = "He's a student?"
• 벌써 다 먹었다니요? (beolsseo da meogeotdaniyo?) [벌써 다 머걷따니요] = "What, you ate it all already?"

In 먹는다니요, the ㄱ of 먹 sounds like ㅇ before the ㄴ of 는, so the word is spoken [멍는다니요]. In the past form 먹었다니요, the ㅆ sounds like ㄷ and the next sound is tensed: [머걷따니요]. Two more groups need a short note, because learners expect trouble with them.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

The ending starts with ㄴ or ㄷ, so most irregular stems keep their base form.

• ㄹ-stems drop the ㄹ before ㄴ: 살다 becomes 산다니요, and 만들다 becomes 만든다니요. An adjective ㄹ-stem keeps the ㄹ before ㄷ: 길다 becomes 길다니요.
• ㅂ-irregular stems keep the ㅂ: 춥다 becomes 춥다니요 and 돕다 becomes 돕는다니요.
• ㄷ-irregular stems keep the ㄷ: 듣다 becomes 듣는다니요.
• 르-stems: 모르다 becomes 모른다니요.
• Nouns use 이다: after a vowel 의사라니요, and after a consonant 학생이라니요. The past is 의사였다니요 or 학생이었다니요.

With a command, use -(으)라니요: 내일까지 다 끝내라니요? (naeilkkaji da kkeunnaeraniyo?) [내일까지 다 끈내라니요] means "You're telling me to finish it all by tomorrow?" With an honorific subject, add -(으)시-: 사장님이 그만두신다니요? (sajangnimi geumandusindaniyo?) [사장니미 그만두신다니요] means "The boss is quitting?!"

With the formation clear, one full sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -다니(요)

-다니(요) grammar turns a piece of news into a reaction. Follow the steps with the news "It's already twelve o'clock."

1. Start with the plain statement. 벌써 열두 시예요. (beolsseo yeoldu siyeyo.) = "It's already twelve o'clock." The predicate is the noun 시 with 이다.
2. Find the plain form. 시예요 comes from 시이다, and the plain form is 시다 (contracted from 시이다).
3. Join -다니 to the noun. A noun ending in a vowel takes -라니: 시라니. (The 이다 + 다니 contracts to 라니.)
4. Add the tone. An exclamation to yourself has no 요: 시라니!
5. Rebuild the sentence. 벌써 열두 시라니! (beolsseo yeoldu sirani!) [벌써 열두 시라니] = "It's already twelve o'clock?!"

You will know it worked when the time word stayed in place and the noun gained 라니. The most common slip at step 3 is using 다니 straight after a noun: 시다니 sounds wrong. A noun takes -(이)라니. Each sentence can also appear in several tenses and sentence types, and each has limits.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -다니(요)?

-다니(요) works in the present, the past and in the negative. It repeats statements, commands and suggestions. The future uses the plain future forms (갈 거라니요, 가겠다니요), and the ending does not work in formal speech. The table shows the forms for 가다.

The most useful forms in daily talk are the question with 요 and the exclamation without it. A question ends with a rising tone. An exclamation falls. A repeated question word, such as 뭐라니요? ("What do you mean?"), does not need a rise.

• 제가 틀렸다니요? (jega teullyeotdaniyo?) [제가 틀렫따니요] = "What do you mean, I was wrong?"
• 벌써 간다니? (beolsseo gandani?) [벌써 간다니] = "What, you're leaving already?" (to a friend)

The second pattern, -다니 without 요, can also introduce a comment about the news: 그 사람이 그런 말을 하다니 믿을 수 없어요 (geu sarami geureon mareul hadani mideul su eopseoyo) [그 사라미 그런 마를 하다니 미들쑤 업써요] means "I can't believe he would say such a thing."

Here the first clause names the surprising fact, and the second clause gives the reaction. This is the "To think that..." use. The next section compares this ending with the one that looks closest.

How Is -다니(요) Different from -(느)ㄴ다고요?

-다니(요) and the echo ending -(느)ㄴ다고요 both repeat what someone said, but they differ in feeling. -(느)ㄴ다고요? checks what you heard or insists on what you said. -다니(요) has surprise or disbelief built in.

Both sentences are correct. A polite listener might ask 벌써 간다고요? to make sure they heard correctly, and use 벌써 간다니요? when they are not pleased about the news. A second ending, -(느)ㄴ다니까(요), insists on what the speaker said ("I told you I'm going!"). A third neighbour is -더라고요, which reports something you noticed. These contrasts lead to the variations of the pattern itself.

Variations and Edge Cases of -다니(요)

-다니(요) has four common variations: the polite 요 form, the exclamation without 요, the "To think that..." clause and the repeated command. Each one is short, and each appears in real conversation.

• Polite 요 form. 벌써 간다니요? is the form for polite talk. The tone decides whether it sounds surprised or hurt.
• Exclamation without 요. To yourself or a friend: 그 사람이 의사라니!
• "To think that..." clause. The clause ends with -다니, and a comment follows: 한 달 만에 책을 한 권 다 썼다니 대단해요 (han dal mane chaegeul han gwon da sseotdani daedanhaeyo) [한 달 마네 채글 한 권 다 썯따니 대단해요], "To think you wrote a whole book in a month, that is amazing."
• Repeated command. 가라니요? repeats a command with disbelief: "You're telling me to go?!"

One word to keep apart is the verb 다니다, which means "to go to; to attend." It is not related, although it looks the same: 저는 학교에 다녀요 (jeoneun hakgyoe danyeoyo) [저는 학꾜에 다녀요] means "I go to school."

This lesson covers the common forms used in daily life. It does not cover the spoken pattern -(느)ㄴ다니까, which insists on what you said and has its own lesson. The mistakes below show where the boundaries cause real errors.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -다니(요)?

Learners most often get the form, the noun ending or the tone wrong. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Using the wrong form after a verb. 가는다니요 is wrong. After a vowel the present verb ending is -ㄴ다: 간다니요. After a consonant it is -는다: 먹는다니요.
2. Adding ㄴ to an adjective. 비싼다니요 is wrong, because an adjective takes -다니요 directly: 비싸다니요.
3. Forgetting 라 with a noun. 의사다니요 is wrong. Say 의사라니요, and for a noun with a final consonant, 학생이라니요.
4. Using it with a senior without care. This is a tone problem, not a spelling error. -다니요 sounds like an objection, so to a teacher or a boss, a gentler 정말요? or 그러세요? is safer.

A quick check for any sentence with this ending: Is the form built on the plain form (verb -ㄴ/는다, adjective -다, noun -(이)라)? Is the surprise real? Is the listener someone you can react to this way? If all three answers are yes, the sentence is sound.

The practice set below tests these points directly.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Translate. "What, you're leaving already?" Use 가다 and 벌써.
2. Choose the form. "He's a doctor?!" (그 사람이 의사라니 / 그 사람이 의사다니)
3. Form the pattern. React to "I ate it all" with surprise, using 먹다 in the past.
4. Write your own. React with surprise to the news "It's already twelve o'clock."

Answer key

1. 벌써 간다니요? The present verb ending after a vowel is -ㄴ다.
2. 그 사람이 의사라니. A noun takes -(이)라니.
3. 벌써 다 먹었다니요? The past ending -았/었 comes before -다니요.
4. 벌써 열두 시라니! (beolsseo yeoldu sirani!) = "It's already twelve o'clock?!" Answers vary. Check that the noun takes -(이)라니.

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can use the pattern in conversation. Next, the lesson hands off to related patterns.

What Should You Learn Next after -다니(요) Grammar?

After -다니(요) grammar, learn the gentler endings for surprise, then the ending that reports what you noticed. This lesson teaches surprise and disbelief at what you heard, and it does not cover the insisting ending -(느)ㄴ다니까(요). That lives on its own page.

1. Start with -군요, the gentle "I see."
2. Compare it with -네요, the polite reaction to something you notice now.
3. Continue with -더라고요, the report of what you found.
4. Return to Exclamations and Realization to see every lesson in this set, or to the Advanced Grammar list for other B2 patterns.

With these steps, -다니(요) becomes automatic: build the plain form, add 니요 for a reaction, and keep the tone in check.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -다니(요) mean?

-다니(요) shows surprise or disbelief at what you heard. 벌써 간다니요? means "What, you're leaving already?" and 그 사람이 의사라니! means "He's a doctor?!" It can also mean "To think that...": 그런 말을 하다니 means "To think that he would say such a thing."

How do I attach -다니(요) to a verb or adjective?

To repeat what someone said, a verb takes -ㄴ/는다니요 (가다 becomes 간다니요, 먹다 becomes 먹는다니요), an adjective takes -다니요 (비싸다 becomes 비싸다니요), and a noun takes -(이)라니요 (의사라니요, 학생이라니요). For the past, add -았/었: 갔다니요. For an exclamation, use -다니 on the plain stem: 하다니, 가다니.

Can -다니(요) be used in the past tense?

Yes. Add -았/었 before -다니(요): 벌써 다 먹었다니요? means "What, you ate it all already?" For the future, repeat the future form: 갈 거라니요? or 가겠다니요? The present form also covers a planned event: 내일 간다니요? means "You say you're going tomorrow?"

Is -다니(요) used in speech or only in writing?

It is mainly spoken emotion. The version with 요 is a spoken reaction in polite talk, and the version without 요 is an exclamation among friends or to yourself. The short form -다니 also appears in columns and messages: 그런 말을 하다니 정말 실망이다. In formal essays, other patterns are more common.

What is the most common mistake with -다니(요)?

The most common mistake is the wrong form after the stem. A verb needs -ㄴ/는: 가는다니요 is wrong and 간다니요 is right. A second mistake is tone: -다니요 is a strong reaction that can sound like an objection, so use it carefully with seniors, who may take it as a challenge.

What is the difference between -다니(요) and -(느)ㄴ다고요?

Both can follow what someone said. -(느)ㄴ다고요? checks or repeats it neutrally ("You said you're going?"), and it can also insist ("I said I'm going!"). -다니(요) has surprise or disbelief built in, so 벌써 간다니요? means "What, already?!" and is more emotional.

Save This to Pinterest