-데(요)
de(yo)
Grammar · 1 sense
In my experience, it was, it seemed
Examples
일본 사람들은 타코야끼를 자주 먹데.
Japanese people frequently eat takoyaki.
오늘 시험 공부를 열심히 했는데 끝나고 보니까 새벽 2시데요.
I studied hard for my exam today and when I was done, it turned out to be 2 in the morning.
우리 할머니 고향은 하나도 안 변했데.
My grandma's hometown hadn't changed at all.
When you'd hear it
-데 is conversational and appears among friends or in casual storytelling, while -데요 is the polite version heard in dramas, everyday conversation, and personal recollections. It is uncommon in formal written prose.
What learners get wrong
Do not confuse -데요 with -대요: -데요 presents the speaker’s own experience or observation, whereas -대요 reports someone else’s words or information. -더라고요 is also based on direct experience but more explicitly emphasizes a new discovery.
Ask Ipsae about -데(요)
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