-(느)ㄴ다면서요?
I hear that… is that right?
Checks something you were told. Built on the reported speech forms, so it splits by word class in exactly the same way.
Build it
Pick a word
When to use it
Take the plain form used for reported speech and add 면서요. Verbs give -ㄴ다면서요 / -는다면서요, adjectives -다면서요, and 이다 gives -(이)라면서요 — the same irregular member as before. Past is -았/었다면서요.
The other three sentence types follow too: commands give -(으)라면서요, suggestions -자면서요, questions -냐면서요.
You use it when you have heard something and want confirmation: 다음 달에 이사 간다면서요? It assumes the listener knows, which is why it feels friendlier than a bare question — you are showing you took an interest.
When the reported fact clashes with what you are seeing, it turns reproachful: 담배 끊는다면서요? said to someone smoking. The spoken short form is -다며?
How to attach it
| Word type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb, vowel stem | -ㄴ다면서요? | 가다 → 간다면서요? |
| Verb, consonant stem | -는다면서요? | 먹다 → 먹는다면서요? |
| Adjective | -다면서요? | 좋다 → 좋다면서요? |
| 이다 | -(이)라면서요? | 학생이라면서요? |
| Past | -았/었다면서요? | 갔다면서요? |
| Spoken short form | -다며? | 간다며? |
In use
다음 달에 이사 간다면서요?
I hear you’re moving next month — is that right?
그 식당 정말 맛있다면서요?
They say that restaurant is really good, don’t they?
한국어를 아주 잘하신다면서요?
I hear you speak Korean very well.
어제 시험을 봤다면서요? 어땠어요?
You had your exam yesterday, didn’t you? How was it?
그분이 우리 선배라면서요?
I hear he’s a senior of ours, is that so?
담배 끊는다면서요?
Weren’t you supposed to be quitting smoking?
Compared with
-대요
-대요 passes information on; -다면서요? asks the person concerned to confirm it. Same source, opposite direction.
이사 간대요. (I hear he’s moving) / 이사 간다면서요? (you’re moving, I hear?)
-지요?
-지요? checks something you already believe; -다면서요? checks something you were told. The second names its source implicitly.
이사 가지요? (you’re moving, right?) / 이사 간다면서요? (I heard you’re moving?)
-더라고요
-더라고요 reports what you witnessed yourself; -다면서요? handles what reached you second-hand. Keeping the two apart keeps your sources straight.
맛있더라고요. (I ate there) / 맛있다면서요? (I hear it’s good?)
Watch out
그 식당 맛있는다면서요?
그 식당 맛있다면서요?
맛있다 is in the adjective group here, so it keeps the plain -다. Only action verbs take -ㄴ다 or -는다.
그분이 우리 선배이다면서요?
그분이 우리 선배라면서요?
이다 is irregular in reported forms: it becomes -(이)라, as in 학생이라고 해요.
부장님, 어제 회의에 안 왔다면서요?
부장님, 어제 회의에 못 오셨다고 들었습니다.
Aimed upward, especially at a fact that looks like a failing, this ending sounds accusatory. Report what you heard neutrally instead.
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