Your goal
Tell the person responsible who asked what, without turning the question into an answer or fact.
The messenger may not know the answer. Keep the question word—when, where or what—and identify who asked.
Before you start
- 문의자
- the person making an inquiry
- 담당자
- the person responsible
- 묻다
- ask
- 궁금해하다
- want to know
- 질문
- question
Explore the situation
Original message and participants
Sources of questions and answers
Mina passes a question to staff and relays their answer back to Jun.
| Who / when | Original words or recorded facts |
|---|---|
| Jun’s question | “수업은 몇 시예요?” |
| Staff answer | “오후 세 시예요.” |
| Aki’s question | “준비물이 뭐예요?” |
The materials question is unanswered.
Learn the expressions
Relay Jun’s 수업은 몇 시예요? to staff as 준이 수업은 몇 시냐고 물었어요. Jun asked; he did not answer “three.” The complete reporting sentence is a statement and can end with a period.
| Original expression | Reported expression |
|---|---|
| 몇 시예요? | 몇 시냐고 물었어요. |
| 장소가 교실이에요? | 장소가 교실이냐고 물었어요. |
| 언제 시작해요? | 언제 시작하냐고 / 시작하느냐고 물었어요. |
| 방이 커요? | 방이 크냐고 물었어요. |
| 준도 와요? | 준도 오냐고 / 오느냐고 물었어요. |
Nouns take -이냐고 after a final consonant and -냐고 otherwise. A current-action question can be relayed as 시작하느냐고; spoken 시작하냐고 is also used and accepted here. Do not retain -요 inside the reporting ending.
Read the conversation
Identify the person who asked
수업은 몇 시예요?
Show meaning
What time is the class?
준이 수업은 몇 시냐고 물었어요.
Show meaning
Jun asked what time the class is.
오후 세 시예요.
Show meaning
It is at three p.m.
직원이 오후 세 시라고 했어요.
Show meaning
The staff member said it is at three p.m.
Someone wants to know what to bring
준비물이 뭐예요?
Show meaning
What should I bring?
아키가 준비물이 뭐냐고 물었어요.
Show meaning
Aki asked what to bring.
Build a sentence
Check the details shown on the cards and try a sentence before revealing the example. Then assemble the sentence pieces.
Compare original and relayed messages
Direct question
- Asker
- 준
- Original
- “장소가 어디예요?”
- Relay
- 준 → 미나 → 직원
Example and explanation
준이 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
The place is not yet known.
A question about someone else
- Original
- 미나: “준도 와요?”
Example and explanation
미나가 준도 오냐고 물었어요.
Do not swap Mina and Jun.
After receiving an answer
- Staff answer
- “오후 네 시예요.”
Example and explanation
직원이 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
This relays the answer, not the question.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Relay Jun’s venue question.
Sentence pieces
- 장소가 어디냐고
- 준이
- 물었어요.
2. State what Aki wants to know.
Sentence pieces
- 준비물이 무엇인지
- 아키는
- 궁금해해요.
Practice
Choose a response that fits the situation using the expressions you learned.
1. Jun: “Where is the venue?” Which is accurate?
- 미나가 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
- 준이 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
- 준이 장소가 교실이라고 했어요.
2. Which reports “Is Jun coming too?”
- 준도 오냐고 물었어요.
- 준도 온다고 했어요.
- 준도 오라고 했어요.
3. What is 아키가 몇 시냐고 물었어요.?
- A sentence proving an answer was received
- A record of attendance then
- A statement reporting a question
4. Choose the form for 장소가 교실이에요?.
- 장소가 교실예요냐고 물었어요.
- 장소가 교실이냐고 물었어요.
- 장소가 교실냐고 물었어요.
Try a new situation
Original message and participants
Relay three questions to staff
Yuna relays the questions. Only the time has been answered.
| Who / when | Original words or recorded facts |
|---|---|
| Aki | “몇 시에 시작해요? 준비물이 뭐예요?” |
| Jun | “장소가 어디예요?” |
| Mina | “준도 와요?” |
| Staff follow-up answer | “오후 네 시에 시작해요.” |
The reporting sentence is a statement. It need not keep the original question mark.
Use the new role information. Write the required details in Korean and try saying them.
Tasks
Try the tasks first, then compare with the answers and examples in step 10.
1. Relay Aki’s start-time question to staff.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
2. Relay Jun’s venue question.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
3. Report that Mina asked whether Jun is coming.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
4. Use 궁금해하다 to say Aki wants to know what to bring.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
5. Relay the staff answer, four p.m., to Aki.
Show a hint
Use the pattern and keep the supplied information.
Check your learning
Read the new conditions and distinguish the key information.
1. Aki asks the start time in the task. Which report matches?
- 아키가 몇 시에 시작하냐고 물었어요.
- 준이 몇 시에 시작하냐고 물었어요.
- 아키가 네 시에 시작한다고 했어요.
2. Relay Mina’s 준도 와요? to staff.
- 준이 미나도 오느냐고 물었어요.
- 미나가 준도 온다고 했어요.
- 미나가 준도 오느냐고 물었어요.
3. Staff have not answered Aki’s materials question. What is known?
- 준비물은 없어요.
- 아키가 준비물을 궁금해해요.
- 준비물은 공책 두 권이에요.
4. Which pair correctly reports 언제 시작해요?
- 언제 시작하냐고 / 언제 시작하느냐고
- 언제 시작해요냐고 / 언제 시작한냐고
- 언제 시작한다고 / 언제 시작하라고
5. After staff answer “Four p.m.,” what do you tell Aki?
- 아키가 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
- 직원이 몇 시냐고 물었어요.
- 직원이 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
6. What should a relayed question retain?
- Remove the asker’s identity
- Who asked and what they want to know
- Only the messenger’s guessed answer
Reflect on your reading
Tick only what you actually checked. Feedback from another person is optional and is not required to finish the lesson.
Answers and explanations
Show answers and explanations
Practice questions
1. Jun: “Where is the venue?” Which is accurate?
Answer: 준이 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
Preserve who asked where.
- 미나가 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요. — The asker changed.
- 준이 장소가 교실이라고 했어요. — A question became an answer.
2. Which reports “Is Jun coming too?”
Answer: 준도 오냐고 물었어요.
It asks about attendance.
- 준도 온다고 했어요. — It now asserts attendance.
- 준도 오라고 했어요. — A question became an instruction.
3. What is 아키가 몇 시냐고 물었어요.?
Answer: A statement reporting a question
The original question and reporting sentence have different roles.
- A sentence proving an answer was received — No answer is included.
- A record of attendance then — No attendance is recorded.
4. Choose the form for 장소가 교실이에요?.
Answer: 장소가 교실이냐고 물었어요.
교실 ends in a consonant, so use 이냐고.
- 장소가 교실예요냐고 물었어요. — Do not retain 예요 in the quote ending.
- 장소가 교실냐고 물었어요. — The noun requires 이 here.
Learning check
1. Aki asks the start time in the task. Which report matches?
Answer: 아키가 몇 시에 시작하냐고 물었어요.
Keep asker and question.
- 준이 몇 시에 시작하냐고 물었어요. — Jun did not ask this.
- 아키가 네 시에 시작한다고 했어요. — An unconfirmed answer was inserted.
2. Relay Mina’s 준도 와요? to staff.
Answer: 미나가 준도 오느냐고 물었어요.
Mina asks about Jun’s attendance.
- 준이 미나도 오느냐고 물었어요. — The two roles are reversed.
- 미나가 준도 온다고 했어요. — A question is not confirmed attendance.
3. Staff have not answered Aki’s materials question. What is known?
Answer: 아키가 준비물을 궁금해해요.
Only the inquiry is established.
- 준비물은 없어요. — No answer does not mean no materials.
- 준비물은 공책 두 권이에요. — Two notebooks is not stated.
4. Which pair correctly reports 언제 시작해요?
Answer: 언제 시작하냐고 / 언제 시작하느냐고
Both report the current-action question.
- 언제 시작해요냐고 / 언제 시작한냐고 — These are not the forms in this context.
- 언제 시작한다고 / 언제 시작하라고 — Statement and instruction forms do not report the question.
5. After staff answer “Four p.m.,” what do you tell Aki?
Answer: 직원이 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
Staff are the source of the answer.
- 아키가 오후 네 시라고 했어요. — The answer source became Aki.
- 직원이 몇 시냐고 물었어요. — Staff answered rather than asked.
6. What should a relayed question retain?
Answer: Who asked and what they want to know
Relay what enables the right answer.
- Remove the asker’s identity — Without the asker, the reply recipient is unclear.
- Only the messenger’s guessed answer — Do not replace a question with a guess.
Example answers
Written responses are examples. Other wording can also meet the same conditions.
1. Relay Aki’s start-time question to staff.
아키가 몇 시에 시작하냐고 물었어요.
아키가 몇 시에 시작하느냐고 물었어요.
Do not insert an answer yet.
2. Relay Jun’s venue question.
준이 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
준은 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
Keep place and asker.
3. Report that Mina asked whether Jun is coming.
미나가 준도 오냐고 물었어요.
미나가 준도 오느냐고 물었어요.
Mina is the asker; Jun is the person asked about.
4. Use 궁금해하다 to say Aki wants to know what to bring.
아키는 준비물이 무엇인지 궁금해해요.
아키가 준비물이 무엇인지 궁금해해요.
This marks the desired information.
5. Relay the staff answer, four p.m., to Aki.
직원이 오후 네 시에 시작한다고 했어요.
직원이 시작 시각은 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
직원이 오후 네 시라고 했어요.
Name the staff member as answer source.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Relay Jun’s venue question.
준이 장소가 어디냐고 물었어요.
Keep both the question and asker.
2. State what Aki wants to know.
아키는 준비물이 무엇인지 궁금해해요.
This expresses wanting to know, not knowing.
Review and continue
Come back to these
Recall with the example closed
Tell the person responsible who asked what, without turning the question into an answer or fact.
Change one detail
Change a person, action or time and make two sentences.
Combine with earlier expressions
Make a short exchange with a question and response.
Review what felt difficult
Review this expressionPass a question to someone else →Earlier learningReconnect the foundation →Look separately at activity completion and core learning results.