TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
-(이)라고 하다
Attach -(이)라고 하다 to a noun to say what someone or something is called, or to report that someone said something is that noun.
인용·전달Quoting & reportingHan: 민수 ends in a vowel, so it takes 라고, not 이라고.
Examples
이 과일은 한국어로 뭐라고 해요?What is this fruit called in Korean?
이 음식은 비빔밥이라고 해요. 정말 맛있어요.This dish is called bibimbap. It's really tasty.
친구가 내일이 자기 생일이라고 했어요.My friend said tomorrow is his birthday.
안녕하세요. 저는 김민수라고 합니다.Hello. My name is Kim Minsu.
Don’t mix up
-(이)라고 하다vs-다고 하다-다고 하다 quotes verbs and adjectives (바쁘다고 했어요); after a noun you need -(이)라고 하다 (학생이라고 했어요).
-(이)라고 하다vs-(이)래요-(이)래요 is the spoken short form for reporting what others say (내일이 시험이래요); it is not used to introduce yourself, so say 민수라고 합니다, not 민수래요.
How to build it
N (final consonant)+이라고 하다
N (no final consonant)+라고 하다
학생 → 학생이라고 해요, 민수 → 민수라고 해요
- Choose by the last syllable of the noun: 이라고 after a final consonant (책이라고), 라고 after a vowel (의자라고).
- Put the tense of the speaking on 하다: 의사라고 했어요 means 'he said he is a doctor'.
- For a negative noun statement use 아니라고 하다: 학생이 아니라고 했어요.
- To ask what something is called, use 뭐라고 해요?, not 뭐이라고 or 무엇이라고 in casual speech.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 저는 민수이라고 합니다.
Right: 저는 민수라고 합니다.
민수 ends in a vowel, so it takes 라고, not 이라고.
Practise -(이)라고 하다 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄴ/는지-(으)ㄴ/는지 turns a question into part of a sentence: 'whether / what / where …' (embedded question).
- -(으)면-(으)면 attaches to a verb or adjective to set a condition: "if X happens or is true, then Y," and it can also mean "whenever X" for things that regularly happen.
- -(으)ㄴ 지Shows how much time has passed since an action happened.
- -(으)ㄹ 것Ends a written instruction or rule with a noun-like command: 'do X; X is to be done'. Impersonal and firm; used in notices, exam instructions, memos and rule lists.
- -(으)ㄹ 때Attaches to a verb or adjective to say at what time or in what situation something happens: 'when …'.
- -(으)면 안 되다States that an action is not allowed or not acceptable: 'you must not… / it's not okay to…'.
- -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다Attach it to a verb to say that someone can or cannot do something, either because of their ability or because the situation allows or prevents it.
- -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다Use it to say whether someone knows how to do something, meaning a skill or method they have learned.
- -(으)ㄴ 후에Shows that the second action happens after the first action is finished.
