-다니까

How It Works

Examples (4)

1. A: 정말 괜찮아? B: 괜찮다니까! 걱정하지 마.

   A: Are you really okay? B: I'm telling you I'm okay! Don't worry.

   Word by Word: A: Really okay? B: I'm telling you it's okay! Don't worry.

   B is re-stating that they are okay with some insistence because A seems to be doubting it.

2. A: 철수 아직 안 왔어? B: 지금 온다니까 조금만 기다려.

   A: Hasn't Cheolsu arrived yet? B: I'm telling you he's coming now, so just wait a little.

   Word by Word: A: Cheolsu still not come? B: Now coming I say, so wait just a little.

   B is re-stating the fact that Cheolsu is coming and uses it as a reason for the command 'wait a little'.

3. A: 밥 먹을래? B: 아까 먹었다니까.

   A: Do you want to eat? B: I told you I already ate.

   Word by Word: A: Meal want to eat? B: A while ago ate, I'm telling you.

   B is frustrated because they have already told A that they ate.

4. A: 저 사람 회사원이에요? B: 학생이라니까요.

   A: Is that person an office worker? B: I'm telling you, he's a student.

   Word by Word: A: That person office worker is? B: Student, I'm telling you.

   B corrects A's assumption by emphatically stating the person's real status.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing -다니까 with -니까 for giving a simple reason.

  Different Meaning어제 피곤했다니까 일찍 잤어요.

  Better어제 피곤했으니까 일찍 잤어요.

  -다니까 is used to re-state information, not to simply state a reason for a past action. For a simple reason like 'Because I was tired yesterday...', you should use -으니까.

• Using -다니까 when stating information for the first time.

  Different MeaningA: 뭐해? (What are you doing?) B: 공부한다니까.

  BetterA: 뭐해? (What are you doing?) B: 공부해요. (I'm studying.) A: 또 놀고 있지? (You're playing again, right?) B: 공부한다니까요! (I'm telling you I'm studying!)

  -다니까 implies repetition or emphasis of something already known or said. It's unnatural to use it as an initial response to a question. It's used when the other person isn't listening or believing you.

Learn This First

To emphasize repetition 'I'm telling you', you need statement form knowledge.

• Basic verb conjugation

  This repetition emphasis pattern requires understanding statement forms.

Related Patterns

• -(으)니까So, Because

  -다니까 is derived from the quotation form plus -니까. However, their meanings are distinct. -니까 simply states a reason ('because'), while -다니까 re-states a fact as a reason, with added emphasis or frustration ('because I'm telling you that...').

• -잖아You Know, ... Right?

  Both are used to state something the listener should already know. However, -잖아 ('...you know') is used to confirm shared knowledge in a friendly way, while -다니까 is more insistent and used when the speaker feels they aren't being heard or believed.

• -는다고/ㄴ다고/다고Say That, Claim That

  This is the indirect quotation form that is the root of -다니까. Understanding -다고 하다 helps clarify that -다니까 literally means 'because (someone) says that...'. It's the 'saying' part that implies repetition and emphasis.

• -거든If, When (Casual)

  Like -다니까, -거든 can be used to provide a reason before a command. The key difference is that -거든 typically introduces new information as the reason, while -다니까 re-states information that should already be known to the listener.

Words in This Pattern