Korean grammar patterns › Level 6
-노라(고)
I (hereby) declare that …; saying that I … (literary)
Level 6 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
A solemn, literary first-person declaration of what the speaker did or will do (왔노라, 하겠노라). With -고 it quotes such a vow (…하겠노라고 다짐하다/약속하다). 하노라고 했는데 means 'I did it as best I could (but)'.
Forming it
| 하다 | → 하노라 |
| 오다 | → 왔노라 |
| 가다 | → 가겠노라고 |
| 살다 | → 사노라 |
The subject is the speaker, or a quoted person speaking about himself. Not used with adjectives in modern Korean.
Examples
나는 끝까지 이 길을 가겠노라고 다짐했다.
I vowed that I would follow this path to the end.
딴에는 열심히 하노라고 했는데 결과가 좋지 않았어요.
I did my best, as I saw it, but the result wasn't good.
Compared with similar patterns
-ㄴ/는다고 하다 is the neutral way to report speech; -(으)리라 expresses will or confident prediction, while -노라 announces or declares.