-아/어 달라고
Ask to Do, Request
Reports a request for a favor, like 'someone asked me to...'
How It Works
This pattern is a specific form of indirect quotation used for requests. It's formed by combining a verb with '-아/어' and then adding '달라고 하다'.
Structure: Verb Stem + -아/어 + 달라고 하다
This grammar is a combination of two concepts:
- -아/어 주다: The pattern for doing an action for someone's benefit.
- -라고: The indirect quotation particle for commands and requests.
When someone makes a direct request to you for their own benefit using '-아/어 주세요' (Please do... for me), you report this request using '-아/어 달라고 하다'. The '달라' part specifically indicates that the favor was requested for the original speaker's benefit.
Conjugation Rules:
The conjugation follows the standard -아/어 rules:
- If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you add -아 달라고.
Example: 가다 (to go) → 가 달라고 (asked to go) - If the verb stem's last vowel is anything else, you add -어 달라고.
Example: 읽다 (to read) → 읽어 달라고 (asked to read) - For 하다 verbs, it becomes 해 달라고.
Example: 요리하다 (to cook) → 요리해 달라고 (asked to cook)
Important Distinction: -아/어 달라고 vs. -아/어 주라고
This is a key point.
- -아/어 달라고: Use this when reporting a request where the action benefits the original requester.
Example: 친구가 도와달라고 했어요. (My friend asked me to help her.) - -아/어 주라고: Use this when reporting a request for someone to help a third person.
Example: 선생님이 저에게 지수를 도와주라고 하셨어요. (The teacher asked me to help Jisu.)
Examples (5)
- 친구가 숙제를 좀 도와달라고 했어요.
My friend asked me to help her with the homework.
Word by Word: Friend homework a little help-for-me-asked did.
- 동생이 배고프다면서 밥을 차려 달라고 졸랐어요.
My little sibling, saying they were hungry, pestered me to prepare a meal for them.
Word by Word: Younger sibling is hungry saying meal prepare for-me-asked pestered.
- 아이가 장난감을 사 달라고 울었어요.
The child cried, asking me to buy them a toy.
Word by Word: Child toy buy for-me-asked cried.
- 사장님께서 이 서류를 복사해 달라고 하셨어요.
The boss asked me to copy these documents.
Word by Word: Boss (honorific) this document copy for-me-asked (honorific).
This example shows the pattern used in a formal workplace setting with the honorific verb 하셨어요.
- 할머니가 무거우니까 짐을 들어 달라고 부탁하셨어요.
Grandma, saying it was heavy, requested that I carry the luggage for her.
Word by Word: Grandma because it's heavy luggage lift for-me-asked requested (honorific).
Here, the verb '부탁하다' (to request) is used instead of '하다' (to do/say), which is very common with this pattern.
Common Mistakes
Confusing -아/어 달라고 with -아/어 주라고.
Not Quite엄마가 오빠에게 저를 도와달라고 했어요.Better엄마가 오빠에게 저를 도와주라고 했어요.-아/어 달라고 is used when the person making the request is also the person who will benefit from the action. In the example, Mom (the requester) is asking her son to help a third person (me). Therefore, -아/어 주라고 is correct because the favor is directed towards someone other than the requester.
Learn This First
To understand -아/어 달라고, learners need the direct request form -아/어 달다 and the reported request marker -라고.
Related Patterns
- -아/어 주다Do for Someone
This is the core pattern for 'doing something for someone'. -아/어 달라고 is the quoted form of a request made using -아/어 주세요 (the direct request form).
- -지 말라고Tell Not to Do
This is the negative counterpart, used for reporting a request or command not to do something. It's the quoted form of -지 마세요.
- -아/어 주세요Please Give Me
This is the direct request form, 'Please do X for me'. When you report that someone said this to you, you use -아/어 달라고.
- -는다고/ㄴ다고/다고Say That, Claim That
This is the indirect quotation for declarative statements ('someone said that...'). Comparing it helps understand that -아/어 달라고 is specifically for quoting requests, not statements.