-라고
Tell/order to Do
-(으)라고 is a grammar pattern for reporting commands. For example, '엄마가 빨리 오라고 했어요' means 'Mom told me to come quickly'.
How It Works
-(으)라고 is a key pattern for indirect speech, specifically for quoting commands, requests, or orders. It's the equivalent of saying "(someone) told (someone else) to do..." in English.
Conjugation Rules:
1. Verb stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: Attach -라고.
- 가다 (to go) → 가라고
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들라고 (ㄹ is not dropped)
2. Verb stem ends in a consonant (except ㄹ): Attach -으라고.
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹으라고
- 앉다 (to sit) → 앉으라고
This quoted command is typically followed by a reporting verb like:
- 하다 / 말하다: to say / to tell
- 부탁하다: to request
- 시키다: to order / make someone do
- 전하다: to relay a message
Common Shortened Form:
In everyday conversation, -(으)라고 해요 is often shortened to -(으)래요.
• 선생님이 오라고 해요. → 선생님이 오래요. (The teacher says to come.)
• 밥 먹으라고 해요. → 밥 먹으래요. (They say to eat.)
This pattern is part of a set of quotation endings. Compare it with:
Examples (5)
- 선생님께서 조용히 하라고 하셨어요.
The teacher told us to be quiet.
Word by Word: Teacher (honorific) quietly do-command-quote said (honorific).
- 엄마가 저녁 먹으라고 불렀어요.
Mom called me to eat dinner.
Word by Word: Mom dinner eat-command-quote called.
먹다 ends in a consonant, so -으라고 is used.
- 부장님이 이 서류를 빨리 만들라고 시키셨어요.
The department head ordered me to make this document quickly.
Word by Word: Department head this document quickly make-command-quote ordered (honorific).
For verb stems ending in ㄹ like 만들다, -라고 is attached directly without dropping the ㄹ.
- 친구가 숙제를 도와달라고 부탁했어요.
My friend asked me to help with the homework.
Word by Word: Friend homework help-give-command-quote requested.
When asking someone to do something for the speaker, the verb 주다 is used, which becomes 달라고 in this quoted form. This is a very common and important variation.
- 의사 선생님이 약을 잘 챙겨 먹으래요.
The doctor says to take my medicine well.
Word by Word: Doctor teacher medicine well take care eat-command-quote-해요.
먹으래요 is the shortened form of 먹으라고 해요.
Common Mistakes
Using the declarative quotation form -다고 instead of the imperative form -(으)라고 for commands.
Not Quite선생님이 숙제를 하다고 했어요.Better선생님이 숙제를 하라고 했어요.-다고 is for reporting statements ('said that...'), while -(으)라고 is for reporting commands ('told to...'). Since 'do your homework' is a command, you must use -(으)라고.
Forgetting to add -으- for verb stems ending in a consonant.
Not Quite엄마가 밥을 먹라고 했어요.Better엄마가 밥을 먹으라고 했어요.When a verb stem ends in a consonant (like 먹-), you must add -으- before -라고, making it -으라고.
Learn This First
To report commands or statements with 이다, you need imperative forms and speech knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -는다고/ㄴ다고/다고Say That, Claim That
This is the indirect quotation form for declarative sentences (statements), meaning 'say that...'. It contrasts with -(으)라고, which is for commands.
- -냐고Whether, If (Indirect Question)
This is the indirect quotation form for questions, meaning 'ask whether/if...'. It's part of the same family of quotation patterns as -(으)라고.
- -자고Let's, Suggest Doing
This is the indirect quotation form for proposals or suggestions (using -자), meaning 'suggest that we... / say let's...'. It completes the set of common quotation endings along with -(으)라고.
- -지 말라고Tell Not to Do
This is the negative form, used for reporting negative commands ('tell not to do...'). It's the direct counterpart to -(으)라고 for prohibitions.
- -아/어라Informal Command
This is a direct, informal command ending. -(으)라고 is used to report a command that was originally given using an ending like -아/어라 or -십시오.
- -아/어 달라고Ask to Do, Request
A special form used with 주다 to mean 'ask someone to do something for me'. It's a very common and important variation of the -(으)라고 pattern.
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.