Learn Korean | Korean Grammar 138 N-이었느냐고 하다/N-였느냐고 하다 (Korean indirect quotation)

In this lesson, we will look at the expression 'N-이었느냐고 하다/N-였느냐고 하다' which is used to indirectly quote a sentence whose type of sentence is 'interrogative sentence', ends with 'noun', and the point of time is 'the past tense'.

Let's learn 'indirect quotation' in Korean 'N-이었느냐고 하다/N-였느냐고 하다.'

If you want to watch this lesson in Korean with English subtitles, please click the link below.

🌷 Korean grammar lesson 138: https://youtu.be/lGhsFXO6CkU



⭐️ Korean Grammar 138: N-이었느냐고 하다/였느냐고 하다 [묻다]

‘여기가 예전에 물관이었느냐고 물어봤어요.


1. Short Conversation

- 미소: 지안 씨, 나나 씨가 작년 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였나요?

- 지안: 글쎄요. 잘 모르겠는데요. 이따가 만나면 한번 물어볼게요.

⥥⇓(after some time, Jian and Nana meet and talk. Jian quotes Miso's question and says it.)

- 지안: 나나 씨, 미소 씨가 작년에 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였느냐고 물어봤어요.

- 나나: 네, 맞아요. 지난번에 제주도로 놀러갔었어요.


→ The grammar we're going to learn today is '제주도였느냐고 물어봤어요.'


(in English)

- Miso: Jian, was it Jeju Island where Nana went on vacation last year?

- Jian: Well. I don't know. I'll ask her when we meet later.

⥥⇓ 

- Jian: Nana, Miso asked if the place you went on vacation last year was Jeju Island.

- Nana: Yes, that's right. I went to Jeju Isnad last time.


2. Usage

- Indirect quotation: this expression is used when the speaker quotes another person's question indirectly.

- Interrogative, past tense, noun: '-이었느냐고 하다/였느냐고 하다' is used to quote a sentence that is an interrogative sentence, past tense and ending with a noun.

- 이었/였: '이었/였' is the combination of '이다' which is a particle and '었' which is an ending of a word that indicates an event or action has occurred in the past.- interrogative, noun, past tense

- ‘느냐고 → 냐고’: when you talk, you can use '냐고'. So you can say '이였냐고 하다/였냐고 하다.'

- And instead of the verb ‘하다’, you can also use ‘묻다, 질문하다, 말하다.’

3. Example Sentences

✎ 미소: “작년에 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였어요?” (→ noun, past, interrogative)

(Is Jeju Island the place you went on vacation last year?)

→ Indirect quotation: 작년에 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였느냐고 물어봤어요. (제주도 + 였느냐고 하다)

- When you look at this sentence, it ends with the noun. The point of view is in the past, and it is an interrogative sentence.

- If you want to quote indirectly, you can add '-였느냐고 하다' after the noun '제주도.'

- And when writing, delete the double quotation marks.

- Then you can say ‘작년에 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였느냐고 물어봤어요.

- Here ‘제주도였느냐고 물어봤어요' is a combination of the noun 제주도 and '였느냐고 하다'.

- When the sentence you want to quote ends with a noun, is in the past tense, and is an interrogative sentence, you can say it by combining the 'noun' followed by '-였느냐고 하다'.

→ (when speaking): 작년에 휴가 갔던 곳이 제주도였냐고 물어봤어요. (제주도 + 였냐고 하다)

- When you speak, you can shorten '느냐고' and say '냐고.'

- So you can say ‘제주도였냐고 물어봤어요.


✎ 미소: “여기가 예전에는 박물관이었어요?” (→ noun, past, interrogative)

(Was this place a museum before?)

→ Indirect quotation: 여기가 예전에는 박물관이었느냐고 물어봤어요. (박물관 + 이었느냐고 하다)

- When you look at this sentence, it ends with the noun. The point of view is in the past, and it is an interrogative sentence.

- If you want to quote indirectly, you can add '이었느냐고 하다' after the noun '박물관.'

- And when writing, delete the double quotation marks.

- Then you can say ‘여기가 예전에는 박물관이었느냐고 물어봤어요.

- Here ‘박물관이었느냐고 물어봤어요' is a combination of the noun 박물관 and '이었느냐고 하다'.

- When the sentence you want to quote ends with a noun, is in the past tense, and is an interrogative sentence, you can say it by combining the 'noun' followed by '-이었느냐고 하다'.

→ (when speaking): 여기가 예전에는 박물관이었냐고 물어봤어요. (박물관 + 이었냐고 하다)

- When you speak, you can shorten '느냐고' and say '냐고.'

- Then you can also say ‘박물관이었냐고 물어봤어요.


4. Combination Information

- It attaches after a noun.

(1) Final consonant O: -이었느냐고 하다

- When the preceding noun has the final consonant, '-이었느냐고 하다' is used.

- 학생 + 이었느냐고 하다 → 학생이었느냐고 하다

- When you look at '학생', there is the final consonant ‘ㄱ.’

- Then '-이었느냐고 하다' is used after that.

- So you can say '학생이었느냐고 하다’.

        - 도서관 + 이었느냐고 하다 → 도서관이었느냐고 하다

- When you look at the noun '도서관', there is the final consonant ‘ㄴ.’

- Then '-이었느냐고 하다' is used after that.

- So you can say '도서관이었느냐고 하다’.


(2) Final consonant X: -였느냐고 하다

- When the preceding noun does not have the final consonant, '-였느냐고 하다' is used.

- 가수 + 였느냐고 하다 → 가수였느냐고 하다

- When you look at '가수', there is no final consonant.

- Then '-였느냐고 하다' is used after that.

- So you can say ‘가수였느냐고 하다.'

- 기숙사 + 였느냐고 하다 → 기숙사였느냐고 하다

- When you look at '기숙사', there is no final consonant.

- Then '-였느냐고 하다' is used after that.

- So you can say '기숙사였느냐고 하다’.

5. Practice

✎ “어제 먹은 음식이 비빔밥이었어요?” (Was the food we ate yesterday Bibimbap?)

→ 어제 먹은 음식이 비빔밥이었느냐고 물어봤어요. (비빔밥 + 이었느냐고 묻다)

→ (when speaking) 어제 먹은 음식이 비빔밥이었냐고 물어봤어요. (비빔밥 + 이었냐고 묻다)


✎ “직업이 의사였어요?” (Were you a doctor?)

→ 직업이 의사였느냐고 물어봤어요. (의사 + 였느냐고 묻다)

→ (when speaking)직업이 의사였냐고 물어봤어요. (의사 + 였냐고 묻다)


✎ “지금까지 제일 맛있게 먹은 음식이 뭐였어요?” 

    (What was the most delicious food you've eaten so far?)

→ 지금까지 제일 맛있게 먹은 음식이 뭐였느냐고 물어봤어요. (뭐 + 였느냐고 묻다)

→ (when speaking) 지금까지 제일 맛있게 먹은 음식이 뭐였냐고 물어봤어요. (뭐 + 였냐고 묻다)


✓Quiz PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iw-wsAaH75VptCceS-yqCgKcVaA_B76d/view?usp=sharing

❓문제: (보기)와 같이 문장을 간접 인용해 보세요.

(보기)  “여기가 예전에 박물관이었어요?”→ 여기가 예전에 박물관이었냐고  물어봤어요.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. “어제가 월요일이었어요?” 

→   ________________________________________  물어봤어요.

2. “저 사람이 미소 씨 남자친구였어요?” 

→ _________________________________________  물어봤어요.

3. “나나 씨가 입은 옷이 한복이었어요?” 

→  _________________________________________  물어봤어요.

4. “한국에 왔을 때가 겨울이었어요?”

→ __________________________________________  물어봤어요.

5. “지안 씨 생일이 어제였어요?”

→ __________________________________________  물어봤어요.


🌱 정답

1. 어제가 월요일이었느냐고 (월요일이었냐고) 물어봤어요. (월요일 + 이었느냐고(이었냐고) 묻다)

2. 저 사람이 미소 씨 남자 친구였느냐고 (남자 친구였냐고) 물어봤어요. (남자 친구 + 였느냐고 (였냐고) 묻다)

3. 나나 씨가 입은 옷이 한복이었느냐고 (한복이었냐고) 물어봤어요. (한복 + 이었느냐고 (이었냐고) 묻다)

4. 한국에 왔을 때가 겨울이었냐고 (겨울이었냐고) 물어봤어요. (겨울 + 이었느냐고 (이었냐고) 묻다)

5. 지안 씨 생일이 어제였느냐고 (어제였냐고) 물어봤어요. (어제 + 였느냐고 (였냐고)  묻다)


#베이직코리안 #한국어문법 #Basickorean #Koreangrammar #이었느냐고하다 #였냐고하다 #간접인용 #간접화법 #indirectquotation




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