-다고요/-다니까요 in Korean: “I said, I'm telling you”

-다고요 and -다니까요 (-dagoyo, -danikkayo) mean "I said" or "I'm telling you." You use them to repeat or insist on something you already said. -다고요? with a rising tone can also mean "You said what?" when you are surprised or checking.

How to form it

How to use it

These endings come from quoting. When someone didn't hear you or doesn't believe you, you quote yourself: 간다고요 (I said I'm going). -다니까요 is stronger, like "I'm telling you!" or "I already said so!"

-다고요? with a rising tone checks what you heard, often with surprise: 벌써 끝났다고요? (It's already over, you said?).

The tone matters. -다니까(요) can sound frustrated or impatient, so be careful with elders and bosses. The casual versions are -다고 and -다니까 (no 요).

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

-잖아(요): Reminds someone of something they should already know (you know). -다니까요 insists on something you already said and they aren't accepting.

-다니: Shows disbelief at news: 벌써 끝났다니! (I can't believe it's already over!). -다고요? checks the news as a question.

Common mistakes

Using -다니까요 with a boss or an elder when you are annoyed. Even with 요, it can sound like talking back.

Forgetting the verb form. It is 간다고요 and 먹는다니까요, not 가다고요 or 먹다니까요.