-더라니 is yet another cause-effect grammar point. It is used when in retrospect the result of a situation now seems obvious or predictable.
Imagine: after a huge dinner at a buffet, you wake up the next morning to a terrible stomachache. You complain to your friend, but they are less than sympathetic. They point out to you that, looking back on the previous night, you had stuffed your face, so your stomachache is the obvious result of that feast. Your conversation in Korean might go something like this:
가: 오늘 아침에 배탈이 났어요. I had a stomachache this morning.
나: 어제 뷔페에서 과식하더라니. (Looking back on it) You did overeat at the buffet yesterday.
Examples:
내가 너 시험 성적이 나쁠 줄 알았어. 공부 안 하고 계속 놀더라니. I knew your test score would be bad. (Looking back on it) You didn’t study and just fooled around.
컴퓨터가 안 돼요. 고장 났나 봐요. 지난 주부터 이상하더라니. The computer isn’t working. It must be broken. (Looking back on it) It’s been acting up since last week.
네가 감기에 걸리는 게 놀랄만한 일이 아니야. 이 추운 날씨에 얇은 옷을 입고 다니더라니. You getting sick isn’t a surprise. (Looking back on it) You kept going out in light clothes.
Coupled with 어쩐지, -더라니 carries with it a sense of belated realization. It is used when you have received information that explains an already known fact. The closest English translation for this usage would be “No wonder”.
Example:
길에서 산 티셔츠가 한번 빨고 나서 줄어들더라고요. 어쩐지 값이 싸더라니. The t-shirt I bought off the street shrank after just one wash. No wonder it was cheap.
마이틀 씨가 이번에 승진해서 보너스를 많이 받았대요. 어쩐지 그동안 기분이 좋아 보이더라니. They say that Michael received a huge bonus with his promotion. No wonder he’s been in a good mood lately.
그 학생의 부모님이 부자래요. 어쩐지 명품옷만 입었더라니. They say that student’s parents are rich. No wonder he wore only brand name clothes.
~(이)던가 = Asking questions to yourself (only yes/no answers!)
(~더~ = recalling some fact from the past that has been experienced
~(으)ㄴ가 = specific questions. Sometimes used to ask questions to other people but very informal and usually use just
~(으)ㄴ가 )
내가 이 책을 읽었던가? = Did I read this book?
오빠가 나한테 뭐라고 했던가? = Did my brother say something to me? (yes or no answers, so 뭐 is ‘something’ not ‘what’) 우리가 언제 만났던가? = Have we met at some time (not ‘when’) before? 우리가 어제 만났던가? = Did we meet yesterday? 어제 설거지를 했던가? = Did I do the dishes yesterday? 선생님이 캐나다 사람이던가? = Is our teacher Canadian? 그 차가 내 친구 차던가? = Is that car my friend’s car?
~(이)더라? ~았/었/였지(요)?= used to ask about information you have forgotten e.g. what was it again?
(they have the same meaning but ~더라 can ask about future events and ~았/었/였죠? has a stronger past tense nuance)
이거 뭐더라? 이거 뭐였지? 이거 뭐였죠? = (I forgot) what was this again? what is this?
이거 누구 책이더라/책이었지? = Whose book was this again? 효진 씨 생일이 언제더라/언제였지? = When was Hyojin’s birthday again? 이거 어떻게 하더라/했지? = How do you do this again? 석진 씨가 한국에 언제 왔죠? = When did Seokjin come to Korea? I forgot. 석진 씨가 한국에 언제 오더라? = When is Seokjin coming to Korea? I forgot. 이거 누구 거더라? = Whose is this again? 그 사람 이름이 뭐더라? = What’s his name again? 이게 한국어로 뭐였죠? = What was this in Korean again?
often used with ~다고/라고 (quotation)
이거 뭐라고 했죠? = What did you say this was again? 석진 씨가 언제 온다고 했죠? = When did you say Seokjin was going to come? 이거 누구 거라고 했더라? = whose did you say this was? 내일 몇 시에 올 거라고 했죠? = What time did you say you were going to come tomorrow?
~(ㄴ/는)다/라더라(고요) = somebody said, apparently, they say that(information you read/heard somewhere else) (contracted from ~다/라고 하더라)
야, 미국은 좀 그렇고 캐나다가 좋다더라 – Say, I heard that the US was not that great but that Canada was nice. 철수가 요리를 못한다더라 – (I heard that) cheolsu is not good at cooking. 말레이시아는 한국에서 멀다더라 – Malaysia is far from Korea. 달에는 생명체가 없다더라 – There is no living creature on the moon. 그녀는 말레이시아인이라고 하더라 – 그녀는 말레이시아인이라더라 – (someone said that) She is Malaysian.
~더라 (younger and close relationship), ~던데(요) (polite) = something to realised after experiencing/seeing/hearing about it
(similar to ~구나 but you realised it in the past)
그 영화 어제 봤는데, 재밌더라! = I saw that movie yesterday, and it was fun! 어제 경화 씨를 만났는데, 머리를 염색했더라 = I met Kyung-hwa yesterday and she had dyed her hair 싱가폴에 처음 가 봤는데, 정말 덥던데요 = I went to Singapore for the first time, and it’s really hot there. 윤아 씨한테 물어봤는데, 모르던데요 = I asked Yoona, and she doesn’t know.
~더라 is a little excited/exclamatory, ~더라고(요) is more calm, neutral
아까 효진 씨를 만났는데, 남자친구랑 있더라고요 = I met Hyojin earlier, and she was with her boyfriend
~더라는데 – it has been observed that,as we know,I hear (have been told) that,I noticed that (Contracted from -더라[고 하]는데)
Sutdy-Korean 