Subtle Endings: -거든요, -잖아요, -더라고요, -네요

Gives a reason or background that the listener does not know yet. Also used to introduce a story you are about to continue.

• Form: 가거든요, 먹었거든요, 학생이거든요, 의사거든요.
• Usually comes after the main statement, as an explanation: "I can’t go. (Because) I have an exam."
• Not used for questions, and not for facts the listener already knows (use -잖아요).
• With seniors, use it lightly. Too many -거든요 can sound like you are making excuses.

• 오늘은 일찍 가야 해요. 내일 아침에 면접이 있거든요. oneureun iljjik gaya haeyo. naeil achime myeonjeobi itgeodeunyo.
  I have to leave early today. I have a job interview tomorrow morning, you see.
• 저 매운 음식 잘 먹어요. 어렸을 때부터 많이 먹었거든요. jeo maeun eumsik jal meogeoyo. eoryeosseul ttaebuteo mani meogeotgeodeunyo.
  I can eat spicy food well. I’ve eaten a lot of it since I was a child.
• 제가 어제 시장에 갔거든요. 그런데 거기서 옛날 친구를 만났어요. jega eoje sijange gatgeodeunyo. geureonde geogiseo yennal chingureul mannasseoyo.
  So, yesterday I went to the market. And there I ran into an old friend.

Reminds the listener of something they already know or should know: "You know...", "As you know...".

• Form: 가잖아요, 바쁘잖아요, 말했잖아요, 주말이잖아요.
• Only for shared knowledge. If the listener truly could not know, -잖아요 sounds strange.
• It can sound like blame: 제가 말했잖아요! (I told you!). Avoid this tone with seniors.
• Softer use: to give an obvious reason together: 오늘 금요일이잖아요. 그래서 길이 막혀요.

• 우산 가져가세요. 오후에 비 온다고 했잖아요. usan gajyeogaseyo. ohue bi ondago haetjanayo.
  Take an umbrella. They said it would rain in the afternoon, remember?
• 민수 씨는 커피 안 마시잖아요. 차를 준비할게요. minsu ssineun keopi an masijanayo. chareul junbihalgeyo.
  Minsu doesn’t drink coffee, you know. I’ll get tea ready.
• 길이 많이 막히네요. 아, 오늘 연휴 첫날이잖아요. giri mani makineyo. a, oneul yeonhyu cheonnarijanayo.
  The traffic is really bad. Oh, today is the first day of the holiday, isn’t it.

Reports something the speaker personally saw, heard or felt in the past, as a fresh memory: "I noticed that...", "It turned out...".

• Form: 가더라고요, 맛있더라고요, 학생이더라고요. For a completed result: -았/었더라고요 (벌써 끝났더라고요).
• It must be the speaker’s own direct experience. Information you only read or heard about uses -다고 하더라고요 (they said) instead.
• Normally not for your own deliberate actions: 제가 밥을 먹더라고요 is wrong. Say 제가 밥을 먹었어요.
• Feelings: with I as the subject, use the feeling adjective (저는 그 영화가 슬프더라고요). For another person, use the -아/어하다 verb (친구가 슬퍼하더라고요).

• 제주도에 가 봤는데 바다가 정말 맑더라고요. jejudoe ga bwanneunde badaga jeongmal makdeoragoyo.
  I went to Jeju, and the sea was really clear (I saw it).
• 그 식당에 갔더니 벌써 문을 닫았더라고요. geu sikdange gatdeoni beolsseo muneul dadatdeoragoyo.
  I went to that restaurant, and it had already closed.
• 직접 해 보니까 생각보다 어렵더라고요. jikjeop hae bonikka saenggakboda eoryeopdeoragoyo.
  When I tried it myself, it was harder than I thought.
• 동생이 선물을 받고 정말 좋아하더라고요. dongsaengi seonmureul batgo jeongmal joahadeoragoyo.
  My younger sibling was really happy to get the present (I saw it).
• 뉴스에서 봤는데 내일 눈이 온다고 하더라고요. nyuseueseo bwanneunde naeil nuni ondago hadeoragoyo.
  I saw on the news that it will snow tomorrow, they said.

Expresses the speaker’s feeling or discovery right now, from what they see, hear or experience at this moment.

• Form: 오네요, 좋네요, 학생이네요. Stems in ㄹ drop ㄹ: 멀다 → 머네요, 알다 → 아네요.
• Only for something the speaker experiences or notices now. Not for old knowledge: 제 이름은 민지네요 is strange.
• Very common for compliments and small reactions: 한국어를 잘하시네요.

• 와, 밖에 눈이 오네요! wa, bakke nuni oneyo!
  Wow, it’s snowing outside!
• 이 김치찌개 정말 맛있네요. i gimchijjigae jeongmal masinneyo.
  This kimchi stew is really delicious.
• 벌써 열두 시네요. 점심 먹으러 갈까요? beolsseo yeoldu sineyo. jeomsim meogeureo galkkayo?
  It’s already twelve o’clock. Shall we go to lunch?

Shows that the speaker has just realized or learned something, often from what someone else said. A little more formal or thoughtful than -네요.

• Form: 가는군요 (verb), 바쁘군요 (adjective), 학생이군요 (noun), 갔군요 (past).
• Unlike -네요, -군요 can respond to information you only heard: A says she is from Busan, B says 부산 분이시군요.
• 그렇군요 (I see) is a very common polite reply.
• The casual form -구나 is used to younger people or when talking to yourself.

• 아, 그래서 늦으셨군요. a, geuraeseo neujeusyeotgunyo.
  Ah, so that’s why you were late.
• 고향이 부산이시군요. 바다 근처에서 자라셨겠어요. gohyangi busanisigunyo. bada geuncheoeseo jarasyeotgesseoyo.
  So your hometown is Busan. You must have grown up near the sea.
• 한국에 온 지 벌써 3년이 되었군요. hanguge on ji beolsseo 3nyeoni doeeotgunyo.
  So it has already been three years since you came to Korea.

Gently shows that the fact is different from what the listener expects or thinks, often with a little surprise or a soft objection.

• Form: 가는걸요, 좋은걸요, 바쁜걸요, 다 먹었는걸요, 학생인걸요.
• Used to correct or answer the listener softly: A: "Is it hard?" B: "No, it’s actually easy." → 아니요, 쉬운걸요.
• Also used to give a small excuse: 벌써 늦었는걸요.
• Use with care to seniors, since it slightly disagrees with them.

• A: 많이 기다렸죠? B: 아니에요. 저도 방금 왔는걸요. A: mani gidaryeotjyo? B: anieyo. jeodo banggeum wanneungeoryo.
  A: You waited a long time, didn’t you? B: Not at all. I just got here myself.
• 벌써 표가 다 팔렸는걸요. beolsseo pyoga da pallyeonneungeoryo.
  The tickets are already sold out, actually.
• 생각보다 한국어가 재미있는걸요. saenggakboda hangugeoga jaemiinneungeoryo.
  Korean is more fun than I expected, you know.