자고 하다 (reported suggestion) - Suggest That

This pattern is a combination of two parts. First, you have the suggestion ending -자, which is the casual way to say "Let's." Then, you add the quotation particle 고 and the verb 하다 (to do/say). When you put them together, you get 자고 하다. It’s like a grammar relay race where the suggestion is passed from the original speaker to you. The beauty of this pattern is its simplicity. Unlike many Korean grammar rules, it doesn't care about whether the verb stem ends in a vowel or a consonant. It’s the loyal friend of grammar—always consistent and easy to work with.

1. 1Identify the verb stem of the action being suggested. For example, in 먹다 (to eat), the stem is 먹.
2. 2Attach -자고 directly to that stem. No need to worry about batchim (final consonants) here! So, 먹 becomes 먹자고.
3. 3Add the verb 하다 at the end. You can conjugate 하다 into any tense you need.
4. 4Present: 먹자고 해요 (Suggests we eat)
5. 5Past: 먹자고 했어요 (Suggested we eat)
6. 6Future: 먹자고 할 거예요 (Will suggest we eat)
7. 7Yes, even native speakers love how easy this one is. It’s like a grammar "free pass" where the rules actually stay simple for once!

Use 자고 하다 whenever you are reporting a "Let's" statement.

• Ordering Food: Your roommate says, "Let's get chicken!" You tell your brother, "룸메이트가 치킨을 먹자고 했어." (My roommate suggested we eat chicken.)
• Asking Directions: A local suggests, "Let's look at this map together." You tell your travel buddy, "지도를 같이 보자고 하세요." (They are suggesting we look at the map.)
• Job Interviews: The recruiter might say, "Let's meet next week." You tell your family, "면접관이 다음 주에 만나자고 했어요." (The interviewer suggested we meet next week.)
• Planning a Trip: Your friend suggests going to Jeju Island. You relay this to the group: "민수가 제주도에 가자고 해요." (Minsu is suggesting we go to Jeju.)

Don't use 자고 하다 for things that aren't suggestions. If someone is just telling you a fact, use 다고 하다. If they are asking a question, use 냐고 하다. Also, avoid using this when the action doesn't involve the speaker. A suggestion (-자) implies "Let's do this together." If someone is telling YOU to do something alone, that's a command, and you should use (으)라고 하다 instead. Think of it like a grammar traffic light: 자고 하다 only turns green when everyone is moving together.

• The "ㄹ" Irregular Trap: Usually, verbs like 만들다 (to make) lose the ㄹ in some patterns. But not here! It’s just 만들자고 하다. Don't overthink it and try to drop letters that want to stay.
• Mixing up Suggestions and Commands: If your boss says "Finish this by 5," that's not a 자고 하다 moment. That's a command. Only use this when the boss says "Let's finish this together."
• Using Adjectives: You can't "Let's be pretty" or "Let's be tall." Suggestions only work with action verbs. If you try to use an adjective, the grammar police (or just your Korean teacher) might give you a funny look.

• 자고 하다 vs. 라고 하다: 자고 is "Let's do it together." 라고 is "You do it." It’s the difference between a teammate and a drill sergeant.
• 자고 하다 vs. 다고 하다: 자고 is a proposal for action. 다고 is just reporting a statement of fact. "He said let's go" vs. "He said he is going."
• 자고 하다 vs. 재요: 재요 is just the shortened, more colloquial version of 자고 해요. You'll hear 재요 or 재 all the time in Seoul. It’s the "cool kid" version of the grammar.