TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-(이)라고 (하찮음)
In 그것도/이것도 N(이)라고, it belittles something as hardly worth the name N: 'you call that an N?'. Usually a scornful rhetorical question; turned on one's own gift, it sounds modest.
조사ParticlesHan: This (이)라고 belittles the thing, so it cannot carry thanks or praise.
Examples
그것도 농담이라고 하는 거야? 하나도 안 웃겨.Is that supposed to be a joke? It's not funny at all.
이것도 선물이라고 드리기가 좀 민망하지만 정성껏 준비했습니다.It's hardly much of a present and I feel a bit awkward giving it, but I prepared it with care.
이것도 음식이라고 만들었니? 너무 짜서 못 먹겠다.You call this food? It's too salty to eat.
Don’t mix up
-(이)라고 (하찮음)vs-(이)라고 하다Quotation: 친구가 이게 선물이라고 했어요 'my friend said this is a present'. Belittling: 그것도 선물이라고 줬어? 'you call that a present?'-(이)라고 (하찮음)vs-(이)나마-(이)나마 admits something is modest but offers it kindly: 작은 선물이나마 받아 주세요. (이)라고 belittles it.How to build it
N+이라고 (after a consonant)
라고 (after a vowel), typically 그것도/이것도 N(이)라고+V
음식 → 이것도 음식이라고; 선물 → 그것도 선물이라고; 농담 → 그것도 농담이라고; 노래 → 그것도 노래라고
- Typical frame: 그것도/이것도/그게 + N(이)라고 + verb, often as a question: 그것도 노래라고 부르니? = 'that is no song'.
- The verb is what was done with the thing (만들다, 사 오다, 하다, 부르다, 다니다). The tone is scornful, so it is used to close friends, juniors or about oneself, never to seniors.
- Self-deprecating use when offering something modest: 이것도 선물이라고 드리기가 민망하네요.
- Nothing is quoted here, unlike quoting (이)라고 and (이)라고 하다.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 이것도 선물이라고 정말 고마워.
Right: 선물 정말 고마워.
This (이)라고 belittles the thing, so it cannot carry thanks or praise.
Practise -(이)라고 (하찮음) on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(이)라면 (강조)Picks out a noun as the topic with emphasis: 'when it comes to N, as for N'. The predicate usually expresses a strong feeling, liking, dislike or confidence (자신 있다, 질색이다, 사족을 못 쓰다).
- -(이)라고는A particle that singles out a noun as 'the only thing of that kind' to stress that there is none or almost none: '(not) a single …, nothing in the way of … except …'. Emphatic, often with a note of complaint or sadness; spoken form -(이)라곤.
- -을랑/ㄹ랑An old-fashioned particle that singles out a thing for emphasis, usually before a prohibition or command: 'as for N, (don't) …'. Heard from older speakers, in regional-flavoured dialogue and in literature; most often met as 일랑 (그런 걱정일랑…).
- -(으)매-(으)매 is a bookish, literary way to say 'because' or 'as', linking a cause to its natural result in formal writing.
- -(으)나 -(으)나Two paired or opposite verbs/adjectives, each with -(으)나, mean 'whichever of these is the case, the following stays the same', which often amounts to 'regardless' or 'all the time'.
- -(으)락 -(으)락Joins two opposite actions or states to show that they keep switching back and forth.
- -(으)랴 -(으)랴Lists two (or more) tasks a person is juggling at the same time to stress that they are extremely busy or worn out.
- -(이)건 -(이)건N(이)건 N(이)건 lists two or more options and says that whichever one it is, the outcome stays the same.
- -(이)라 (예스러운 서술)An archaic plain (해라체) statement ending attached to 이다 and 아니다: 'X is Y.' It sounds solemn and old, as in classical texts, proverbs, historical-drama narration and poetry; modern Korean uses -(이)다.