-더라고요
I found that, it turned out
Reports something you discovered for yourself in the past. The evidence has to be first-hand — and that requirement rules out talking about your own inner states.
Build it
Pick a word
When to use it
Attach -더라고요 to any stem — no vowel rule, ㄹ stays. Tense can go in front: 갔더라고요. The casual form is -더라, and -던데요 is a close relative.
It says: I saw this myself, and it was news to me. 그 식당 정말 맛있더라고요 means you went, you tasted it, and you are now reporting the discovery. Second-hand information cannot take it — that is -대요.
The restriction that surprises learners: you cannot use it about your own feelings or attributes. 저는 배고프더라고요 is wrong, because you do not discover your own hunger from outside. You can use it about your own actions observed in retrospect, and about anyone else freely.
Against -네요, the difference is time. -네요 reacts to what is in front of you now; -더라고요 reports a discovery made earlier.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any verb or adjective | -더라고요 | 맛있다 → 맛있더라고요 |
| ㄹ stems keep the ㄹ | -더라고요 | 만들다 → 만들더라고요 |
| Past | -았/었더라고요 | 갔더라고요 |
| 이다 | -(이)더라고요 | 학생이더라고요 |
| Casual | -더라 | 맛있더라 |
| Not for | your own feelings | 저는 배고프더라고요 is wrong |
In use
어제 가 봤는데 그 식당 정말 맛있더라고요.
I went yesterday, and that restaurant is genuinely good.
아침에 나가 보니까 눈이 오더라고요.
I went out in the morning and found it was snowing.
그 사람이 한국어를 아주 잘하더라고요.
It turns out he speaks Korean very well.
가 보니까 벌써 문을 닫았더라고요.
When I got there, it had already closed.
그 분이 우리 선생님 친구시더라고요.
It turns out she’s a friend of our teacher’s.
직접 만들어 보니까 생각보다 쉽더라고요.
Having tried making it myself, it was easier than I’d expected.
Compared with
-네요
Both mark a discovery, but -네요 is happening now and -더라고요 happened earlier. You cannot use -더라고요 about what you are looking at.
맛있네요! (tasting it now) / 맛있더라고요. (I tried it before)
-대요
-더라고요 requires that you witnessed it; -대요 reports what someone told you. Using the wrong one misrepresents where your information came from.
맛있더라고요. (I ate there) / 맛있대요. (people say it’s good)
-았/었어요
The plain past reports a fact; -더라고요 frames it as something you found out. The second invites the listener to share your surprise.
문을 닫았어요. (it was closed) / 닫았더라고요. (turned out it was closed)
Watch out
저는 그때 정말 배고프더라고요.
저는 그때 정말 배고팠어요.
You cannot discover your own hunger from the outside. This ending is blocked for your own feelings and attributes.
그 식당이 맛있더라고요. 친구가 그랬어요.
그 식당이 맛있대요. 친구가 그랬어요.
-더라고요 claims first-hand experience. For something you were told, use -대요.
지금 밖에 비가 오더라고요.
지금 밖에 비가 오네요.
This ending reports a past discovery. For something you are observing at this moment, use -네요.
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