Reported Speech: Statement (-다고 하다)

-다고 하다 is used to report what someone said as a statement. The form varies depending on the type of predicate: action verbs in present tense use -ㄴ/는다고, descriptive verbs use -다고, past tense uses -았/었다고, and future uses -(으)ㄹ 거라고 or -겠다고.

For example, 민수가 내일 온다고 했어요 means 'Minsu said he is coming tomorrow.' The original statement 내일 올 거야 is converted to indirect speech. In spoken Korean, 하다 is often shortened to just the quotation particle: 온다고요? (He said he's coming?).

Mastering reported speech is essential for TOPIK Level 3. It allows you to relay conversations, discuss what you heard or read, and is fundamental to Korean narrative writing. The four types of reported speech (statement, question, suggestion, command) each have their own patterns.