-(느)ㄴ다니 (전달 의문)

A casual plain-style question asking what a third person said: short for -다고 하니?, as in 언제 온다니? 'When does he say he's coming?'

인용·전달Quoting & reporting

Han: A present-tense verb takes -ㄴ/는다니, not the dictionary form + 니.

Examples

의사 선생님이 뭐라니? 입원해야 한다니?What did the doctor say? Does he say you have to be hospitalised?

아빠는 오늘 몇 시에 들어오신다니?What time did Dad say he'd be home today?

민지가 생일 선물로 뭘 갖고 싶다니?What did Minji say she wants for her birthday?

Don’t mix up

-(느)ㄴ다니 (전달 의문)vs-(느)ㄴ대?Same meaning; -대? is the everyday casual form for any age, while -다니? sounds more like a parent or older speaker: 언제 온대? ≈ 언제 온다니?

-(느)ㄴ다니 (전달 의문)vs-(느)ㄴ다니! (놀람)The exclamation reacts to news with disbelief; the question asks what was said: 회사를 그만둔다니! (He's quitting?!) vs 언제 그만둔다니? (When does he say he's quitting?)

How to build it

V+ㄴ다니/는다니

A+다니

N+(이)라니

past -았/었다니

question -(느)냐니, command -(으)라니, suggestion -자니

오다 → 온다니?; 먹다 → 먹는다니?; 바쁘다 → 바쁘다니?; 학생 → 학생이라니?; 내다 → 언제까지 내라니?

It is plain speech (해라체), used to children, younger people or close friends, typically by parents and older speakers; in polite speech ask with -(느)ㄴ대요? instead.
It usually contains a question word and asks for the content of someone's words: 언제 온다니?, 왜 안 온다니?, 뭐라니? (= 뭐라고 하니?).
It looks the same as the surprised -(느)ㄴ다니! ('I can't believe…'); context and rising question intonation show that you are asking for information.
Present-tense verbs need ㄴ/는 (온다니, 먹는다니); adjectives take bare 다니 (바쁘다니).

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~민수는 언제 오다니?~~

Right: 민수는 언제 온다니?

A present-tense verb takes -ㄴ/는다니, not the dictionary form + 니.

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