안녕하세요!
Welcome back to your favourite corner on the internet, “SKAPETOKOREA,” where we take grammar by the 한글 and make it fun!
Today, we have a special treat for your Korean language palette. We are about to dive into the world of “더라(고요)”. If you’re wondering, “더라고요? What on earth is that?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Just imagine that you’re sipping a cup of hot chocolate with your friend, and you say, “I tried that new Korean restaurant yesterday. It was so delicious!”. You see, in Korean, there is a special way to say these kinds of statements, and that’s where “더라(고요)” comes in!
It’s going to be a thrilling journey filled with lots of examples, fun-filled activities, and much more. So buckle up, because we’re about to make some significant strides on our journey towards Korean fluency. And remember, every new grammar point is another piece of the puzzle, bringing us closer to the full picture of the Korean language. Let’s get started! 🎉
Conjugation
ACTION VERB STEM + 더라고요
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add 더라고요 i.e. 더라고요
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 더라고요 –> 먹더라고요
- 사다 –> 사 + 더라고요 –> 사더라고요
- 주다 –> 주 + 더라고요 –> 주더라고요
- 보다 –> 보 + 더라고요 –> 보더라고요
DESCRIPTIVE VERB STEM + 더라고요
- Take a verb i.e. 예쁘다
- Drop “다” i.e. 예쁘
- Add 더라고요 i.e. 예쁘더라고요
- 싸다 –> 싸 + 더라고요 –> 싸더더라고요
- 빠르다 –> 빠르 + 더라고요 –> 빠르더라고요
- 바쁘다 –> 바쁘 + 더라고요 –> 바쁘더라고요
- 무섭다 –> 무섭 + 더라고요 –> 무섭더라고요
Understanding the meaning of 더라고요
“더라” (used in 반말) and “더라고요” are used to express personal experiences or recollections in Korean. They’re used when the speaker wants to share something they’ve found out, experienced, or realized first-hand. It’s like saying “I found that…” or “I realized that…” in English, giving your speech a flavour of personal discovery.
What is the difference between “더라” and “더라고요”.
- 더라: This form is used in informal speech. It’s often used among friends or people who are of the same age or younger. For instance, if you had some really delicious bibimbap for lunch, you might tell your friend, “비빔밥이 맛있더라” (The bibimbap was delicious).
- 더라고요: This is the polite form of “더라”, and it’s appropriate for formal situations or when you’re talking to someone older or of higher social status. Continuing the above example, if you’re talking to your boss, you’d say, “비빔밥이 맛있더라고요” (The bibimbap was delicious).
Remember, the crucial aspect of using “더라” and “더라고요” is that they are based on the speaker’s personal experience. It’s not used to state general facts or second-hand information.
Examples
- 그 영화가 재미있더라. – I found that movie to be interesting.
Explanation: Here, the speaker is expressing their personal discovery or experience about the movie being interesting.
- 이 커피가 너무 쓰더라고요. – I found this coffee to be very bitter.
Explanation: In this case, the speaker is describing their personal experience with the coffee being too bitter.
- 지난 주에 갔던 식당이 매우 비싸더라. – I found that restaurant to be very expensive.
Explanation: Here, the speaker is sharing a personal observation about the restaurant they visited last week.
- 그녀가 책을 많이 읽더라고요. – I noticed she reads a lot of books.
Explanation: This sentence indicates the speaker’s observation about a woman reading a lot of books.
- 날씨가 춥더라. – I found the weather to be cold.
Explanation: This sentence is expressing the speaker’s personal experience with the cold weather.
The crucial thing to remember with “더라(고요)” is that it’s used when the speaker is sharing a personal discovery or observation, not a general fact or second hand information. The speaker has personally experienced or noticed the situation or event they’re talking about.
As you can see, “더라(고요)” gives a personal touch to your Korean conversations, making them more expressive and natural! Keep practicing with more examples to get the hang of it.
More examples. Notice how the translation changes. That is to help you understand the nuance of this word as not everything can be directly translated from one language to another.
- 그 카페가 생각보다 크더라. – That cafe was bigger than I thought.
- 제주도가 아름답더라고요. – Jeju Island was beautiful.
- 그 분이 우리 회사의 CEO더라. – He turned out to be our company’s CEO.
- 그 친구가 자주 운동하더라고요. – I noticed that friend exercises often.
- 새로 나온 그 앨범이 정말 좋더라. – I found the newly released album really good.
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 그 도서관이 24시간 ______________. – I realized that the library operates 24 hours.
- 그 사람이 유명한 ______________. – That person turned out to be a famous singer.
- 그 일본 식당이 예상보다 ______________. – That Japanese restaurant was more expensive than I expected.
- 책을 읽다가 갑자기 잠이 ______________. – I suddenly felt sleepy while reading the book.
- 그 카페에는 많은 사람들이 ______________. – There were many people at that café.
Activity 1 Answers
- 그 도서관이 24시간 운영하더라고요. – I realized that the library operates 24 hours.
- 그 사람이 유명한 가수더라고요. – That person turned out to be a famous singer.
- 그 일본 식당이 예상보다 비싸더라고요. – That Japanese restaurant was more expensive than I expected.
- 책을 읽다가 갑자기 잠이 왔더라고요. – I suddenly felt sleepy while reading the book.
- 그 카페에는 많은 사람들이 있더라고요. – There were many people at that café.
Wrap up
Alrighty, SKAPETOKOREA Adventurers! We’ve just finished our trek through the use of “더라(고요)” in Korean. Phew! That was a journey filled with personal discoveries and observations, wasn’t it?
We started with understanding that “더라(고요)” is used to share personal experiences or discoveries. We learned how it’s like saying “I found…” or “I realized…” in English, adding that extra sprinkle of personal touch to your Korean. We also dove into its informal and formal usage and, let me tell you, it’s all about who you’re talking to!
We then hiked through a series of examples, explaining each one to ensure you grasp how to use “더라(고요)” in various contexts. Remember, it’s all about stating something you personally experienced, observed, or discovered. Not just any fact, but YOUR discovery!
Before we say goodbye, remember one thing – practice makes perfect. So, go ahead and use “더라(고요)” in your conversations. Make some personal discoveries and share them with us!
And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for… The Comments Section! Yes, it’s your time to shine. We’d love to hear about your adventures with “더라(고요)”. What did you find easy? What made you go “Huh?”? What was your ‘Aha!’ moment? Drop them all in the comments.
Alright, folks, that’s it from me for this lesson. But fear not, our Korean learning journey is far from over. We’ll be back with more exciting grammar points and Korean cultural tips.
So, keep learning, keep discovering, and keep adventuring! SKAPETOKOREA, hwaiting! 🚀