가: 집이 작아서 더 이상 물건을 둘 데가 없어서 고민이에요.
I’m worried because my house is so small that there’s no more room to put anything else.
나: 지난번에 갔을 때는 집이 아주 커 보이던데요.
But it looked really big when i went there last time.
가: 오늘은 사장님 기분이 좀 괜찮아지셨어요?
Is the (company) president feeling better today?
나: 아니요, 아까 보니까 오늘도 얼굴 표정이 안 좋으시던데요.
No, when I saw him earlier today, he still didn’t look good.
This expression is the combined form of -더-, which indicates recollection, and -(으)ㄴ데요 which indicates background information and a contradictory or surprising situation. Accordingly, it is used when expressing something contradictory to what the other person has just said or when expressing the speaker’s feelings of surprise toward a past event or particular situation.
가: 이번 시험이 아주 쉬웠지요?
The exam (this time) was really easy, right?
나: 아니요, 저는 지난 시험보다 더 어렵던데요.
No, I actually found it harder than the last exam.
가: 어제 마크 씨하고 식사하셨지요?
You ate with Mark yesterday, right?
나: 네, 마크 씨가 한국 음식을 아주 잘 먹던데요.
Yes, Mark can (surprisingly) really eat Korean food.
가: 자야 씨가 학생이지요?
is Jaya a student?
나: 아니요, 은행원이던데요. 학교 앞 은행에서 일하더라고요.
No, (apparently) she works at a bank. (I observed that) she works at the bank in front of the school.
1. This expression is also used mid-sentence, but in such cases, it is used to indicate a past situation or the fact that the present situation is contrary to what the case was in the past.
• 마크 씨는 좋은 사람 같아 보이던데 한번 만나 보세요.
Mark seemed like a good person, so you should meet him.
• 그 옷이 자야 씨에게 어울리던데 왜 안 샀어요?
That outfit looked good on you, Jaya, so why didn’t you buy it?
• 어제는 많이 출던데 오늘은 따뜻하네요.
Yesterday, it was really cold, but It is warm today.
2. When referring to things that ended in the past, -았/었던데요 is used.
가: 은혜 씨가 잘 지내고 있지요?
Is Eunhye faring well?
나: 네, 얼마 전에 회사를 옮겼던데요.
Yes, I heard she recently changed jobs.
The differences between -더라고요 and -던데요 both of which express recollection, are as follows.
>> You can click on the title of each grammar below to learn about the other grammar which also expresses ‘Recollection’:
01 -던
02 -더라고요?
03 -던데요
>> Full of Intermediate grammar: Click here