Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 6: 8/13

とQuotation

Structure

(Quotation) Phrase + と + Verb(*)

Verb + と + Verb(*)
［い］Adjective + と + Verb(*)
［な］Adjective + (だ) + と + Verb(*)
Noun + (だ) + と + Verb(*)

(*) Verbs like 言(い)う、聞(き)く、思(おも)う、考(かんが)える、仮定(かてい)する and the like are used

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Particle

  • Word Type

    Case Marking Particle

  • Register

    Standard

About と

One of the regular functions of と in Japanese is as a quotation particle. This use is called 引用(いんよう) in Japanese, which basically translates as 'reference', or 'citation'. This way of using と can appear after almost any type of word (or phrase), but requires だ when used after nouns or な-Adjectives.

と as a quotation marker will almost always be followed by a verb that shows what type of 'quote' it is. This can be words like 言(い)う, 思(おも)う, 考(かんが)える, 聞(き)く, etc. However, at the end of a sentence, the verb will often be omitted.

As with other instances of the particle と being used, this use simply expresses the relationship between (A) 'what was communicated', and (B) 'how it was communicated'.

Related

Examples

--:--

    彼(かれ)はとても親切(しんせつ)だと聞(き)きました。

    I heard that he is very friendly.

    「彼(かれ)はここに来(き)ますか」と聞(き)いた。

    I asked, 'Is he coming here?' (asked)

    「晩(ばん)ごはんを作(つく)った」と言(い)った。

    I said, 'I made dinner'.

    「重(おも)いですか」と聞(き)きました。

    He asked, 'Is it heavy?'

    先生(せんせい)が「危(あぶ)ない」と書(か)いた。

    The teacher wrote, 'It is dangerous'.

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