-다니 in Korean: “I can't believe that”
-다니
-dani
I can't believe that
Intermediate · Sentence endings
-다니 (-dani) means "I can't believe that..." and shows surprise, shock, or disbelief about something you just saw or heard. For example, 벌써 11월이라니! means "I can't believe it's already November!" With nouns it becomes -(이)라니.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb or adjective stem | + 다니 | 하다 → 하다니, 춥다 → 춥다니 |
| Past tense | 았/었 + 다니 | 이기다 → 이겼다니 |
| Noun ending in a vowel | + 라니 | 친구 → 친구라니 |
| Noun ending in a consonant | + 이라니 | 11월 → 11월이라니 |
How to use it
-다니 reacts to news or a situation with strong surprise. It can be happy ("I can't believe we won!"), shocked, or annoyed, depending on the situation and your tone.
It often ends the sentence on its own with an exclamation mark, or comes before words like 믿을 수 없어 (I can't believe it) or 말도 안 돼 (no way).
Add 요 to sound polite: 그만두다니요? repeats what someone just told you, meaning "You're quitting?!". This is a common way to react with surprise or disagreement.
Examples
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Looking at the calendar
Seeing a friend in the kitchen
Watching the final score
Hearing a coworker is quitting
Don’t mix it up with
-네요: -네요 shows mild surprise or a fresh discovery. -다니 is much stronger, closer to shock or disbelief.
-다고요?: -다고요? asks someone to confirm what they said. -다니요? also repeats it, but with more shock or protest.
Common mistakes
Using -다니 for small, everyday news. It expresses strong surprise, so it can sound dramatic.
Putting 다니 straight onto a noun. Use (이)라니: 학생이라니, not 학생다니.
Questions learners ask
What does 다니 mean in Korean?
At the end of a sentence, -다니 means "I can't believe that..." and shows strong surprise. With nouns it is -(이)라니.
Is -다니 polite?
On its own it is casual. Add 요 (-다니요) when you are speaking politely.