Reported Speech: Question (-냐고 하다)
-냐고 하다
Reports what someone asked as a question (indirect quotation).
Pattern
Verb/Adjective stem + -냐고 하다 (물어보다)
Explanation
-냐고 하다 is used to report what someone asked. It converts a direct question into indirect speech. The form is relatively straightforward: attach -냐고 to the verb or adjective stem. For 이다 (to be), use -(이)냐고.
For example, if someone asked 어디에 가요? (Where are you going?), you would report it as 어디에 가냐고 물어봤어요 (They asked where I was going). The verb 물어보다 (to ask) is often used instead of 하다 for question quotations.
In modern spoken Korean, -(으)냐고 is the standard form. An older form -느냐고 may still appear in formal writing. Question words (누구, 어디, 뭐, 언제, etc.) are retained in the reported question. This pattern is tested frequently on TOPIK exams.
Examples
선생님이 숙제를 했냐고 물어보셨어요.
Seonsaengnimi sukjereul haennyago mureobo-syeosseoyo.
The teacher asked if I did the homework.
친구가 어디에 가냐고 물어봤어요.
Chinguga eodie ganyago mureobwasseoyo.
My friend asked where I was going.
엄마가 밥을 먹었냐고 하셨어요.
Eommaga babeul meogeonnyago hasyeosseoyo.
Mom asked if I had eaten.
학생이 시험이 언제냐고 물어봤어요.
Haksaengi siheomi eonjenyago mureobwasseoyo.
The student asked when the exam is.
Common Mistakes
Wrong
어디에 가냐고 말했어요.
Correct
어디에 가냐고 물어봤어요.
For reported questions, 물어보다 (to ask) is more natural than 말하다 (to say).
Wrong
숙제를 했다고 물어봤어요.
Correct
숙제를 했냐고 물어봤어요.
Use -냐고 (not -다고) to report questions. -다고 is for statements.
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