TL;DR
- -다니까요 is used when you're repeating yourself with emphasis because someone didn't listen or believe you the first time 😤
- It attaches directly to verb/adjective stems and shows a mix of frustration and insistence, like "I'm telling you..." 💢
- Think of it as your "I already said this!" grammar—perfect for those moments when you need to stress your point 🗣️
What is -다니까요? 🤔
You know that feeling when you tell someone something, but they don't listen or don't believe you? 😩 And then you have to repeat yourself with extra emphasis? That's exactly what -다니까요 does!
It's like saying "I'm telling you..." or "Like I said..." in English 💬
This grammar shows you're re-emphasizing something you already mentioned, usually with a hint of frustration or insistence 🙄
How to Use It 🔧
The structure is super simple! ✨
Verb/Adjective stem + -다니까요
That's it! Just take off -다 from the dictionary form and add -다니까요 instead 🎯
→ 먹다 → 먹는다니까요 (I'm telling you, I eat it!)
→ 가다 → 간다니까요 (I'm telling you, I'm going!)
→ 예쁘다 → 예쁘다니까요 (I'm telling you, it's pretty!)
→ 아프다 → 아프다니까요 (I'm telling you, it hurts!)
When to Use It 🕐
This grammar really shines in specific situations! 🌟
1. When someone didn't hear you properly 👂
→ A: 뭐라고? (What did you say?)
→ B: 배고프다니까요! (I said I'm hungry!)
2. When someone doesn't believe you 🙅
→ A: 정말이야? (Really?)
→ B: 정말이라니까요! (I'm telling you it's true!)
3. When you're insisting on something 💪
→ 괜찮다니까요! 걱정 마세요. (I'm telling you I'm fine! Don't worry.)
4. When correcting a misunderstanding 🔄
→ 내가 안 한다니까요! (I'm telling you I didn't do it!)
The Feeling Behind It 💭
Here's the thing: -다니까요 always carries emotional weight! 💢
It's not neutral—it shows you're a bit annoyed or frustrated that you have to repeat yourself 😤 But it's not super aggressive either! It's more like a firm insistence 🗣️
Think of the tone as somewhere between frustrated and pleading 🥺
It's polite enough to use with anyone (thanks to the -요 ending), but it definitely shows your feelings! 💫
More Examples 📝
Let's see it in action! 🎬
→ 그 영화 재미없다니까요. 보지 마세요. (I'm telling you that movie isn't fun. Don't watch it.)
→ 내일 안 바쁘다니까요. (I'm telling you I'm not busy tomorrow.)
→ 여기 맛있다니까요! 한번 먹어 보세요. (I'm telling you this place is delicious! Try it once.)
→ 그 사람 착하다니까요. (I'm telling you that person is kind.)
→ A: 너 숙제 안 했지? (You didn't do your homework, right?)
→ B: 했다니까요! (I'm telling you I did it!)
Exceptions ⚠️
Past tense form 📅
When talking about the past, the structure changes slightly! Instead of the present tense marker, you use the past tense 🕰️
Verb/Adjective stem + -았/었/였다니까요
→ 먹었다니까요 (I'm telling you, I ate it!)
→ 갔다니까요 (I'm telling you, I went!)
→ 예뻤다니까요 (I'm telling you, it was pretty!)
Future tense form 🔮
For future tense, use -(으)ㄹ 거라니까요! 🚀
→ 갈 거라니까요 (I'm telling you, I will go!)
→ 할 거라니까요 (I'm telling you, I will do it!)
Quick Tip 💡
Want to sound even more frustrated? Drop the -요 and just use -다니까! 😠
→ 아프다니까! (I'm telling you it hurts!)
But remember: this is casual speech only, so use it with close friends or people younger than you! 👥
The -요 version (-다니까요) is safe to use in most situations and is still considered polite formal speech 🎀
Now you're ready to emphasize your point like a native speaker! 🎉 Use this grammar when you really need people to listen to what you're saying! 💪✨
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -다니까요 to emphasize what you're saying. 💬
- 제가 어제 (만나다 - I met him yesterday!)
Answer
만났다니까요
- 이 영화 정말 (재미있다 - This movie is really interesting, I'm telling you!)
Answer
재미있다니까요
- 오늘 회의가 (취소되다 - The meeting was cancelled today, I said!)
Answer
취소됐다니까요
- 저는 그 사람을 (모르다 - I don't know that person, I'm telling you!)
Answer
모른다니까요
- 제 생각에는 이게 더 (좋다 - I think this one is better, I said!)
Answer
좋다니까요
- 내일 비가 (오다 - It's going to rain tomorrow, I told you!)
Answer
온다니까요
- 저는 커피를 (안 마시다 - I don't drink coffee, I'm telling you!)
Answer
안 마신다니까요
- 그 식당 음식이 정말 (맛없다 - That restaurant's food really isn't good, I said!)
Answer
맛없다니까요
- 제가 이미 (다 했다 - I already finished everything!)
Answer
다 했다니까요
- 여기서 담배 피우면 (안 되다 - You can't smoke here, I'm telling you!)
Answer
안 된다니까요
Vocabulary
어제 - yesterday
만나다 - to meet
영화 - movie
재미있다 - to be interesting
회의 - meeting
취소되다 - to be cancelled
모르다 - to not know
생각 - thought, opinion
좋다 - to be good
비 - rain
오다 - to come
커피 - coffee
마시다 - to drink
식당 - restaurant
음식 - food
맛없다 - to not be tasty
이미 - already
다 - all, everything
담배 - cigarette
피우다 - to smoke
Common mistakes
- 🚫 Don't use -다니까요 in formal writing or when speaking to superiors—it's quite assertive and casual
- 🚫 Don't forget that -다니까요 already implies frustration or emphasis, so don't overuse it in every sentence
- 🚫 Remember to match the verb stem correctly: for action verbs use -ㄴ다/는다니까요, for descriptive verbs use -다니까요
- 🚫 Don't confuse -다니까(요) (self-emphasis) with -대요 (reporting what someone else said)