-다면서/라면서/다며
I Heard That, They Say
-다면서/라면서 is used to confirm something you've heard. It's like saying, 'I heard that...' or 'You said that... (is it true?)'.
How It Works
This pattern combines the indirect quotation form -ㄴ/는다고 with the particle -(으)면서, which means 'while'. Literally, it means 'while saying that...'. In practice, it's used to bring up something previously said or heard.
Main Functions:
1. Confirming Information:
You use it to check if something you heard is true. It often ends with -요 for politeness.
e.g., 내일 시험이라면서요? (I heard you have an exam tomorrow, is that right?)
2. Pointing out a Contradiction:
This is a very common use. You state what you heard someone say, and then point out an action or situation that contradicts it.
e.g., 다이어트한다면서 케이크는 왜 먹어요? (You said you were on a diet, so why are you eating cake?)
Conjugation Rules:
- Action Verbs (Present):
- Stem ends in a vowel: + -ㄴ다면서 (e.g., 가다 → 간다면서)
- Stem ends in a consonant: + -는다면서 (e.g., 먹다 → 먹는다면서) - Adjectives/Descriptive Verbs (Present): Stem + -다면서
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘다면서
- 춥다 → 춥다면서 - Nouns: Noun + -(이)라면서
- 학생 → 학생이라면서
- 의사 → 의사라면서 - Past Tense: Stem + -았다면서/었다면서
- 갔다 → 갔다면서
- 바빴다 → 바빴다면서 - Future Tense: Stem + -ㄹ 거라면서
- 할 것이다 → 할 거라면서
-다며 vs. -다면서
-다며 is a common abbreviation of -다면서 in spoken Korean. It feels slightly more casual.
e.g., 피곤하다며 벌써 자? (You said you were tired, but you're already sleeping?)
Examples (5)
- 한국어 공부한다면서 매일 게임만 해요?
You said you were studying Korean, but you only play games every day?
Word by Word: Korean study you say while every day games only do?
This example points out a contradiction between what the person said (studying Korean) and what they are actually doing (playing games).
- 어제 많이 아팠다면서요? 지금은 괜찮아요?
I heard you were very sick yesterday. Are you okay now?
Word by Word: Yesterday much was sick I heard? Now are you okay?
Here, the speaker is confirming information they heard about the listener's health yesterday.
- 민준 씨가 곧 결혼한다면서요? 축하해요!
I heard that Minjun is getting married soon. Congratulations!
Word by Word: Minjun soon is getting married I heard? Congratulations!
This is used to confirm a piece of news heard about a third person.
- 이 식당이 맛집이라면서 사람이 한 명도 없네요.
They said this restaurant was famous for its food, but there's not a single person here.
Word by Word: This restaurant is a tasty place they say while person one person even isn't here.
This points out the contradiction between the restaurant's reputation (what was heard) and the current reality (it's empty).
- 피곤하다며 왜 아직 안 자고 있어요?
You said you were tired, so why are you still not sleeping?
Word by Word: Tired you say while why still not sleeping are you?
This uses the shortened form -다며 to question an action that contradicts a stated feeling.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong conjugation for adjectives vs. verbs.
Not Quite날씨가 춥는다면서 옷을 따뜻하게 입으세요.Better날씨가 춥다면서 옷을 따뜻하게 입으세요.For adjectives like 춥다 (to be cold), you attach -다면서 directly to the stem. The -는다면서 form is for action verbs.
Confusing it with a simple statement of fact.
Different Meaning(Looking out the window) 비가 온다면서.Better(Looking out the window) 비가 오네요.-다면서 is used to refer to something you've heard. For making a direct observation, other endings like -네요 are more natural. You would only use '비가 온다면서' if someone had just told you it was raining and you were confirming it.
Learn This First
To express hearsay 'I heard that', you need reported speech knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -더니I Noticed, And Then
Like -다면서, -더니 can be used to express a contrast between a past observation and a present result. For example, '어제는 춥다더니 오늘은 덥다' (Yesterday I observed it was cold, but today it's hot). The key difference is -더니 is based on the speaker's direct observation, while -다면서 is based on something heard.
- -잖아You Know, ... Right?
Both patterns bring up information the listener is expected to know. However, -잖아 is used for facts that are obvious or already shared between the speaker and listener ('See? I told you so!'). -다면서 is specifically for information the speaker has heard from the listener or a third party and is now bringing up.
- -ㄴ/는데Background Info, But
The -ㄴ/는데 ending is often used to provide background information before a contrasting statement, similar to how -다면서 can be used. For example, '바쁜데 왜 전화했어요?' (You're busy, but why did you call?). The difference is that -다면서 specifies that the background information ('you are busy') is something the speaker heard someone say.