(으/느/이)냐고

Quoting questions

Explanation

It is used when the speaker quotes another person's question indirectly.

Details

Usage

For indirect quote:

Sentence type Word type Form
Interrogative Action verb (느)냐고
Interrogative Descriptive verb (으)냐고
Interrogative Noun (이)냐고

Shortened form

For indirect quote:

Sentence type Word type Full form Shortened form
Interrogative (present) Noun (느)냐고 하다 (느)냬요
Interrogative (present) Descriptive verb (으)냐고 하다 (으)냬요
Interrogative (present) Action verb (느)냐고 하다 (느)냬요
Interrogative (past) Verb (았/었)(느)냐고 하다 (았/었)냬요
Interrogative (future) Verb -(으)ㄹ 거냐고 하다 -(으)ㄹ 거냬요

Korean Grammar in Use

An indirect quotation refers to the citing, without the use of quotation marks, of what someone asked. After changing the form of the content to be quoted, -냐고 is attached and used along with a verb such as 물어보다 (to ask, to inquire), 전하다 (to tell, to convey) or 듣다 (to listen, to hear).

Details

1. Suggestive Sentences

민우 씨는 "내일 산에 가지 맙시다."라고 말했어요.
Minu said, "Let's not go to the mountain tomorrow."

2. Imperative Sentences

의사 선생님이 "담배를 피우지 마세요."라고 하셨어요.
The doctor said, "Don't smoke."

When the first person pronoun 나/내 or 저/제 appears inside an indirect quotation, it changes to 자기.

왕징 씨가 "저한테 얘기하세요."라고 말했어요.
Wang Jing said, "Please tell me."
리처드 씨가 "제 고향은 뉴욕이에요."라고 말했이요.
Richard said, "My hometown is New York."

When indirect quotations are made from sentences that originally end in 주세요 or -아/어 주세요, these parts change to 달라고 하다 and -아/어 달라고 하다 or 주라고 하다 and -아/어 주라고 하다, respectively. Specifically, when the speaker is making the request directly to the listener, then 달라고 하다 and -아/어 달라고 하다 are used, but when the speaker is asking the listener to help a third party, then 주라고 하다 and -아/어 주라고 하다 are used.

Examples
저한테 어디 <span class='focus'>가냐고</span> 물었어요.
They asked me where I was going.
저는 몇 <span class='focus'>살이냐고</span> 물어보는 게 제일 싫어요.
I hate it the most when people ask me how old I am.
전화번호가 몇 <span class='focus'>번이냐고</span> 그랬어요.
They asked what my phone number was.

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