advanced
더러 (deoreo) means "to, telling someone".
Colloquial marker for 'to (a person)' when asking/telling them something.
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- Same form after a consonant or a vowel.
- Casual speech, with verbs of saying and telling.
Build it
When to use it
Who was told
Mostly with orders and requests passed on.
Complaining
It often sounds a little annoyed.
What people call you
Who an opinion is about.
Watch out
Only for telling, never for giving.
Rude toward elders. Use 께 kke.
In context
8 examples- 1
누구더러 하는 소리야?
Nugudeoreo haneun soriya?
Who are you saying that to?
- 2
친구더러 도와달라고 해.
Chingudeoreo dowadallago hae.
Tell your friend to help you.
- 3
엄마가 나더러 방 청소하래.
Eommaga nadeoreo bang cheongsoharae.
Mom told me to clean my room.
- 4
누가 너더러 그렇게 하래?
Nuga neodeoreo geureoke harae?
Who told you to do that?
- 5
사장님이 저더러 내일 일찍 오라고 하셨어요.
Sajangnimi jeodeoreo naeil iljjik orago hasyeosseoyo.
The boss told me to come in early tomorrow.
- 6
동생더러 문 좀 닫으라고 해.
Dongsaengdeoreo mun jom dadeurago hae.
Tell your brother to shut the door.
- 7
다들 나더러 아빠 닮았대.
Dadeul nadeoreo appa dalmatdae.
Everyone says I look like my dad.
- 8
그 사람이 나더러 바보래.
Geu sarami nadeoreo baborae.
He called me an idiot.
Practice
8 questions엄마더러 선물을 줬어요.
Eommadeoreo seonmureul jwosseoyo.
I gave Mom a present.
더러 vs 보고 vs 한테
All three can mark the person you tell something to:
- 엄마가 나한테 공부하래. eommaga nahante gongbuharae "Mom told me to study." Neutral.
- 엄마가 나보고 공부하래. eommaga nabogo gongbuharae Same meaning, a bit more pointed.
- 엄마가 나더러 공부하래. eommaga nadeoreo gongbuharae Same again, with a hint of "and she said it to me".
한테 hante works everywhere. 보고 bogo and 더러 are only for casual talk about who was told, asked or called something. Of the two, 보고 is more common today, and 더러 can sound a bit old-fashioned.
A different 더러
There's also an adverb 더러 deoreo that means "some" or "now and then". It doesn't come after a person, so it's easy to tell apart:
- 그런 사람도 더러 있어요. geureon saramdo deoreo isseoyo "There are some people like that."
- 더러 실수할 수도 있죠. deoreo silsuhal sudo itjyo "Everyone makes mistakes now and then."
Hanja in this lesson
Words from the examples that are written with Chinese characters. Tap a character to see its page.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 더러 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.
