Advanced Hearsay: -다더니 (I Heard That... And Now)

Technically, ~다더니 is a shortened version of ~다고 하더니. The ~다고 part is the quoting mechanism. It tells us, "Someone said this." The ~더니 part is the observation part. It tells us, "...and then I noticed this." When you smash them together, you get a powerful tool for commentary. You use it when you want to highlight a result or a contrast. For example, if your brother said he was broke but then buys a brand-new gaming console, you’d use this. You are essentially saying, "You said you had no money, but now you're buying that?" It adds a layer of 'I remember what was said' to your current observation. It makes your Korean sound much more natural and observant.

1. 1For Action Verbs: Take the verb stem. If it ends in a vowel, add ~ㄴ다더니. If it ends in a consonant, add ~는다더니.
2. 2가다 (to go) → 간다더니
3. 3먹다 (to eat) → 먹는다더니
4. 4For Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives): Just add ~다더니 directly to the stem.
5. 5춥다 (to be cold) → 춥다더니
6. 6예쁘다 (to be pretty) → 예쁘다더니
7. 7For Nouns: Use ~(이)라더니.
8. 8의사 (doctor) → 의사라더니
9. 9학생 (student) → 학생이라더니
10. 10For Past Tense: Use ~었다더니 or ~았다더니.
11. 11갔다더니 (I heard they went...)
12. 12For Future/Guessing: Use ~겠다더니 or ~을 거라더니.
13. 13하겠다더니 (I heard they would do it...)

Use this when you see evidence that confirms a rumor. If the news said it would rain and you see clouds, use it. Use it when you are surprised by a contradiction. If a friend said they hate spicy food but are eating fire noodles, use it. It is also great for proverbs. Koreans often start sentences with "They say [proverb]..." using ~라더니.

Real-world scenario: Ordering Food. You are at a restaurant. Your friend said the portions are huge. The food arrives, and the plate is tiny. You say: "You said the portions were big, but this is a snack!"

Real-world scenario: Asking Directions. Someone told you the station is a 5-minute walk. You have been walking for 20 minutes. You say: "They said it was 5 minutes, but where is it?"

Do not use this for things you saw yourself for the first time. If you personally saw the rain yesterday and it's sunny today, use ~더니 (without the 다). The 다 is the soul of the hearsay. Without it, you are just talking about your own direct experience. Also, avoid using this for your own immediate, current feelings. You wouldn't say "I say I'm hungry-da-deoni." That sounds like you're talking about yourself in the third person, which is a bit weird unless you're a character in a cartoon.

One big mistake is forgetting the 이 for nouns ending in consonants. It is 선생님이라더니, not 선생님라더니. Another mistake is using it to just repeat a fact without any follow-up. This grammar needs a second half. You can't just say "I heard it's cold." You have to say "I heard it's cold, and (now I see/feel) it really is." Think of it as a two-part story. If you stop halfway, your listener will be waiting for the punchline!

• ~다더니 vs ~다면서: ~다면서 is usually a question to confirm something. "I heard you're moving, is that true?" ~다더니 is a statement about a result or observation.
• ~다더니 vs ~다니까: ~다니까 is used when you are emphasizing your own point or getting a bit frustrated because someone didn't listen. "I told you I'm busy!"
• ~다더니 vs ~더니: Use ~더니 for things you personally witnessed. Use ~다더니 for things you heard from others.