-자고 하다

Build it

When to use it

Attach -자고 하다 to any action verb stem. Nothing changes, ㄹ stays, and tense never appears in front — it goes on 하다.

Whatever the original wording, a reported suggestion comes out this way. 같이 갈까요, 같이 갑시다, and 같이 가자 all become 같이 가자고 했어요.

The negative is built on 말다, as always: -지 말자고 하다.

In speech it contracts to -재요: 가재요, 먹재요. Alongside -대요, -래요, and -냬요, these four contractions are what you actually hear.

How to attach it

In use

1. 친구가 같이 영화를 보자고 했어요.

   My friend suggested we watch a movie together.

2. 동료가 점심을 같이 먹자고 해요.

   A colleague is suggesting we have lunch together.

3. 어머니가 저녁을 같이 만들자고 하셨어요.

   My mother suggested we make dinner together.

4. 그 얘기는 오늘 하지 말자고 했어요.

   They suggested we not discuss it today.

5. 주말에 등산 가재요.

   Apparently they want us to go hiking this weekend.

6. 회의를 다음 주로 미루자고 했습니다.

   It was proposed that we postpone the meeting to next week.

Compared with

• -(으)라고 하다

  A command tells you alone to act; a suggestion includes the speaker. One syllable decides which.

  가라고 했어요. (he told me to go)  /  가자고 했어요. (he suggested we go)

• -(느)ㄴ다고 하다

  Statements report what is; suggestions report what someone proposed doing. Reporting a plan as a statement changes who intends to act.

  간다고 했어요. (he said he’s going)  /  가자고 했어요. (he suggested we go)

• The four contractions

  Once you know all four reported forms, their spoken contractions become worth memorising as a set.

  -대요 (statement) / -래요 (command) / -재요 (suggestion) / -냬요 (question)

Watch out

• 친구가 같이 갑시다고 했어요.

  친구가 같이 가자고 했어요.

  The report always strips politeness back to the plain propositive. 갑시다 and 갈까요 both become 가자고.

• 어제 친구가 같이 갔자고 했어요.

  어제 친구가 같이 가자고 했어요.

  -자고 never carries tense. The past goes on 하다 at the end.

• 그 얘기는 하지 않자고 했어요.

  그 얘기는 하지 말자고 했어요.

  Negative propositives use 말다. 않다 cannot form a suggestion.

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