-(이)라고 (직접 인용)

A particle placed right after words quoted exactly as they were said or written, followed by a verb such as 하다, 말하다, 묻다 or 쓰다.

인용·전달Quoting & reporting

Han: The quote ends in the vowel 요, so the particle is 라고, not 이라고.

Examples

가게 문에는 "오늘은 쉽니다"라고 쓰여 있었다.The shop door said "Closed today."

한국 사람들은 밥을 먹기 전에 "잘 먹겠습니다"라고 해요.Koreans say "jal meokgetseumnida" (lit. "I will eat well") before a meal.

아이는 문을 열자마자 "엄마, 배고파!"라고 소리쳤어요.As soon as the child opened the door, he shouted, "Mom, I'm hungry!"

Don’t mix up

-(이)라고 (직접 인용)vs-(이)라고 하다 (N, indirect)Indirect speech reports the content in your own words: 친구가 "저는 학생이에요"라고 했어요 (direct) → 친구가 학생이라고 했어요 (indirect).

-(이)라고 (직접 인용)vs하고 (직접 인용)하고 also quotes directly but imitates sounds and tone vividly; 라고 is the neutral report: 문이 "쾅" 하고 닫혔어요 vs 그는 "알겠어"라고 대답했다.

How to build it

"quoted words"+(이)라고+하다 / 말하다 / 묻다 / 쓰다

"안녕하세요" → "안녕하세요"라고 했어요; "출발" → "출발"이라고 외쳤어요; "빨리 와" → "빨리 와"라고 말했어요

The choice depends on the last sound of the quote: 라고 after a vowel ("가자"라고), 이라고 after a consonant ("출발"이라고). Most quoted sentences end in a vowel (-요, -다), so 라고 is the usual form.
The quote keeps the original words, person and politeness unchanged: 선생님이 "숙제 내세요"라고 하셨어요. In indirect speech they change: 숙제를 내라고 하셨어요.
In writing, spoken words go in double quotes ("…"라고 했다) and thoughts in single quotes ('…'라고 생각했다).

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~친구가 "내일 만나요"이라고 했어요.~~

Right: 친구가 "내일 만나요"라고 했어요.

The quote ends in the vowel 요, so the particle is 라고, not 이라고.

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