-다니
-다니: Exclamatory Disbelief — Reacting to Shocking Facts or News
Expressive sentence-final ending or connective clause: expressing the speaker's emotional shock, disbelief, admiration, or indignation upon hearing, witnessing, or realizing a specific fact ('To think that... / How could it be that... / I can hardly believe that...').
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verbs in present tense (plain citation form + -니) | Verb stem + -(ㄴ/는)다니 | 벌써 떠난다니 / 그렇게 많이 먹는다니 |
| Descriptive verbs (adjectives) in present tense | Adjective stem + -다니 | 가격이 이렇게 싸다니 / 하늘이 저렇게 맑다니 |
| Nouns with copula (이다 / 아니다) | Noun + (이)라니 / 아니라니 | 벌써 마감이라니 / 꿈이 아니라니 |
| Past tense events (-았/었-) | Past stem + -았다니 / -었다니 | 벌써 시험이 끝났다니 / 그 사람이 합격했다니 |
| Future conjecture or intention (-겠-) | Stem + -겠다니 | 혼자서 그 일을 다 끝내겠다니 |
The expressive ending and connective -다니 is Korean’s ultimate linguistic tool for processing cognitive shock. Whether reacting to staggering good news, baffling absurdity, heartbreaking tragedy, or breathtaking excellence, -다니 captures the speaker’s instinctive emotional reaction: “To think that… / How on earth could it be that… / I can hardly believe that…”
Syntactically, -다니 is the contracted fusion of the indirect quotation citation marker -다고 and the explanatory/causal connective 하니 (-다고 하니 → -다니). It bridges the gap between hearing a factual proposition and articulating visceral astonishment.
1. Emotional Nuances of ‘-다니’
1. Incredulous Shock & Disbelief
When a reality seems impossible, absurd, or completely unexpected:
저렇게 건강하던 사람이 하루아침에 쓰러졌다니 믿기지 않아요.
To think that someone who was so healthy collapsed overnight; I can't believe it.
내가 복권에 1등으로 당첨되다니, 이건 정말 꿈만 같다!
To think that I won first place in the lottery—this feels like an absolute dream!
벌써 한 해가 다 지나고 마지막 날이라니 시간이 너무 빠르네요.
To think that a whole year has already passed and it's the last day—time flies so fast.2. Awe, Marvel, & Deep Admiration
Expressing wonder at exceptional human skill, aesthetic beauty, or generosity:
어린아이가 저렇게 어려운 쇼팽 곡을 완벽하게 연주하다니 정말 놀랍다.
To think that a young child plays such a difficult Chopin piece flawlessly—it is truly astonishing.
어려운 형편에도 전 재산을 장학금으로 기부하시다니 존경스럽습니다.
To think that you donated your entire fortune as a scholarship despite difficult circumstances—it is deeply admirable.3. Indignation, Outrage, & Frustration
Reacting to unjust, unfair, or infuriating developments:
밤새 고생해서 만든 기획서를 한마디 설명도 없이 반려하다니 너무합니다.
To think that they rejected the proposal I worked all night on without a single word of explanation—that is too harsh!
잘못을 저지른 사람이 오히려 큰소리를 치다니 적반하장도 유분수지!
To think that the person who committed the wrong is the one yelling loudly—what utter audacity!2. Conjugation Guide Across Word Classes
Because -다니 is built on the indirect quotation template, its conjugation depends strictly on whether the predicate is an action verb, descriptive verb, or noun copula:
| Category | Present Tense | Past Tense (-았/었-) | Future / Conjecture (-겠-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Verb (Vowel stem) | 가다 → 간다니 | 갔다 → 갔다니 | 가겠다 → 가겠다니 |
| Action Verb (Consonant stem) | 먹다 → 먹는다니 | 먹었다 → 먹었다니 | 먹겠다 → 먹겠다니 |
| Descriptive Verb (Adjective) | 비싸다 → 비싸다니 작다 → 작다니 | 비쌌다 → 비쌌다니 작았다 → 작았다니 | 비싸겠다 → 비싸겠다니 |
| Noun + Copula (이다/아니다) | 학생 → 학생이라니 의사 → 의사라니 | 학생이었다 → 학생이었다니 | 의사이겠다 → 의사이겠다니 |
Critical Irregularity Note:
Adjectives never take -는다니.
- ✅ 이렇게 비싸다니! (How expensive it is!)
- ❌ 이렇게 비싼다니! (Incorrect).
3. Sentence-Final vs. Connective Clause Usage
-다니 operates seamlessly in two grammatical environments:
1. Connective Clause (-다니 + Result Predicate)
Here, the clause marked by -다니 serves as the cognitive cause or evidence for the speaker’s emotional state in clause 2:
$$ \text{Fact / Proposition + -다니} \longrightarrow \text{Emotional Reaction (믿기지 않다 / 놀랍다 / 기쁘다 / 황당하다)}$$
유명 배우가 우리 동네에 이사 왔다니 정말 신기하네요.
To hear that a famous actor moved to our neighborhood is truly fascinating.
그 힘든 시험에 한 번에 붙었다니 대단해요!
To think that you passed that difficult exam on the first try is amazing!2. Sentence-Final Exclamatory Soliloquy (-다니!)
Ending the sentence directly with -다니! drops the following predicate. The emotion is conveyed entirely through intonation and exclamation:
우리가 결승전에서 패배하다니...!
To think that we were defeated in the finals...! (Despair / shock)
내 나이가 벌써 마흔이라니!
To think that my age is already forty! (Disbelief at aging)4. The Conversational Rebuttal: ‘-다니요?’
When the polite particle -요 is added to -다니 (-다니요?), it transforms into a potent conversational rejoinder used to:
-
Modestly Deflect Excessive Compliments:
- A: “김 대리님은 영어 실력이 원어민급이세요!” (Mr. Kim, your English is native-level!)
- B: “원어민이라니요. 아직 비즈니스 회화도 버벅거리는걸요.” (Native level? Heavens no! I still stumble through business conversations).
-
Challenging an Absurd Accusation or Rumor:
- A: “너 어제 지각했다면서?” (I heard you were late yesterday?)
- B: “지각이라니요? 저 어제 8시에 제일 먼저 출근했는데요!” (Late?! What are you talking about? I was the very first person to arrive at 8 AM!).
5. Summary Diagnostic Checklist
To wield -다니 accurately:
- Are you processing unexpected information, news, or a staggering fact? Use -다니 to voice your disbelief or marvel.
- Is it an action verb in the present tense? Remember the citation rules: -ㄴ다니 (vowels) or -는다니 (consonants).
- Is it an adjective? Attach -다니 directly to the stem without inserting 는 (e.g., 예쁘다니, 좋다니).
- Is it a noun? Use -(이)라니 (e.g., 마지막이라니, 거짓말이라니).
- Do you need to modestly deflect a compliment or rebut an untrue claim? Use the spoken reactive formula [Point of contention] + -(이)라니요?
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 거실이 어두워서 조명을 밝은 것으로 바꿨어요 (The living room was dark, so I changed the lighting to brighter ones.) — Intermediate Korean 2, Unit 4, on the theme of interior. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What emotion does the sentence '벌써 방학이 다 끝났다니 믿기지 않아요' express?
2. What is the underlying syntactic origin of the ending '-다니'?
3. How should the noun phrase '벌써 12월' be conjugated with this ending?
4. What is the stylistic and emotional tone of ending a sentence abruptly with '-다니!' as an exclamatory close?
Common questions
Is -다니 only used when talking to oneself (혼잣말)?
While it is very frequently uttered as a spontaneous monologue of disbelief upon hearing news ('그 사람이 사임했다니!'), it is also widely used in direct conversation to express empathy or shared amazement: '그런 일이 있었다니 정말 힘드셨겠어요' (To think you went through such a thing, it must have been so difficult!).
Can -다니 be followed by polite -요 like '-다니요'?
Yes! -다니요 is an extremely important polite conversational ending used to challenge, deflect, or reject an assertion made by the other person. If someone compliments you: '한국말을 원어민처럼 잘하시네요' (You speak like a native!), you can modestly protest: '원어민이라니요, 아직 많이 부족합니다' (Native speaker? No way, I still have a long way to go!).
How does -다니 differ from the surprise ending -네요?
-네요 expresses immediate perceptual realization of a direct sensory experience in front of you (e.g. looking out the window: '비가 오네요' = 'Oh, it's raining!'). In contrast, -다니 reacts to a proposition, fact, or news report, emphasizing the cognitive shock that such a situation exists ('비가 하루 종일 온다니 믿을 수 없어' = 'To think it's going to rain all day, I can't believe it').
What are the conjugation rules for different speech acts before -다니?
Because -다니 is rooted in indirect speech, it mirrors indirect quotation endings: Declaratives: -(ㄴ/는)다니 (verbs), -다니 (adjectives), -(이)라니 (nouns). Imperatives: -라니 (공부하라니 = To think they told me to study!). Propositives: -자니 (지금 떠나자니 = To think they are suggesting we leave now!). Questions: -냐니 (누구냐니 = To think they are asking who I am!).