-던데(요)
deonde(yo)
Grammar · 2 senses
Relating experience
Examples
너 요즘 이상한 사람들이랑 어울리던데 괜찮아?
I've noticed you've been hanging out with some strange people recently. Are you okay?
한국 음식이 맵다던데 사실인가요?
I've heard / people say that Korean food is spicy -- is that true?
When you'd hear it
This is common in conversation: -던데 recalls something the speaker experienced or noticed, while -다던데(요) often reports something heard from others. Adding 요 makes it polite, so it appears with acquaintances, coworkers, and in dramas; the plain form is casual.
What learners get wrong
Learners often treat -던데 as interchangeable with -는데. -던데 points to a past observation or remembered information, whereas -는데 more generally sets up background or contrast without that experiential nuance.
Surprise
Examples
그 사람은 축구도 제법 잘하던데요.
(I saw that) That person was quite good at soccer.
제가 오늘 학교에 왔을 때 교실에 아무도 없던데요.
When I came to school today, (I saw that) there was no one in the classroom.
그곳에는 맛있는 음식들이 많던데요.
There were many delicious foods there.
When you'd hear it
Common in spoken Korean, including conversations with friends, comments in dramas, and polite remarks to colleagues or acquaintances. The 요 form is polite but conversational; without 요, it is casual and familiar.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse it with -는데요. -던데요 usually reports something personally observed or experienced, while -는데요 can describe a current situation or introduce a contrast without that firsthand-observation nuance.
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