-이라고

Korean

Alternative forms

• 라고 (-rago) — after vowels
• 이라 (-ira), 라 (-ra) — contraction

Etymology

Grammaticalized in the late nineteenth century from 이라 (하)고 (-i-ra (ha)-go, “[saying] that it is […] ”), originally used for nouns.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [iɾa̠ɡo̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [이라고]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	irago
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ilago
McCune–Reischauer?	irago
Yale Romanization?	ilako

Particle

이라고 • (-irago)

1. Introduces direct quotes. Compare 고 (-go).

   Synonym: 하고 (-hago)

   너가 나한테 "사랑해"라고 했잖아.

   Neo-ga na-hante saranghae-rago haetjana.

   You told me, "I love you."

2. Used after nouns and nominals:
   1. Used to disparage the noun, or to suggest that it is nothing special.

      공부라고 한 게 이거야?

      Gongbu-rago han ge igeo-ya?

      So this is all the studying you did?

      (literally, “Is this what you did, saying it was studying?”)

      나라고 별 수 있나.

      Na-rago byeol su inna.

      What can I do, either?

   2. In a negative construction, used with an emphatic sense before the topic marker 는 (-neun).

      사람이라고는 아무도 없었다.

      Saram-irago-neun amu-do eopseotda.

      As for people, there were none.

   3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 이다 (-ida),‎ 라 (-ra),‎ 다고 (-dago).

Usage notes

• (introduces direct quotes): 하고 (-hago) is more colloquial and has a nuance of more intimate or faithful quoting than 이라고 (-irago). For example, speakers use 하고 (-hago) when imitating the actual way something was said (e.g. someone's accent, prosody, etc.), and 이라고 (-irago) when quoting written material.