Learn Korean: Noun + 뭐라 그래

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Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern Noun + 뭐라 그래(?). 뭐라 그래 is another way of saying 뭐라고 해 which is used to ask what someone said as in 뭐라고 했어? (What did he say) and 뭐라고 할 거야? (What will you say). In simple form, 뭐라 그래 means What are you gonna tell somebody? as in 선생님한테 뭐라 그래? (What are you gonna say to our teacher?). In past form, it means What did you tell somebody? as in 아빠한테 뭐라 그랬어? The marker 한테 signifies who something is said to. If we change it to 이/가 as in 아빠가 뭐라 그랬어?, we are asking what the subject said. 가 is a subject marker so this sentence means What did dad say? 

엄마한테는 뭐라 그래?

What are you gonna say to mom? (you broke her precious porcelain)

 

아빠한테는 뭐라 그래?

What will you tell dad? (he checked your room early morning and you weren’t there)

 

준호가 뭐라 그랬어?

What did Junho say?