Grammar Info
N2 Lesson 7: 18/21

とか
I heard that… something like, he/she/it said ... or something

Structure

Verb +
[い]Adjective +
[な]Adjective +
Noun +
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
Being a combination of the particles と and か, とか ‘quotes’ the previous statement as being something that has been heard, but is unconfirmed or uncertain. In English, this translates as ‘I heard something like (A)’, or ‘(A) or something was said’.
とか may appear after verbs, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives, or nouns.
  • 遠藤(えんどう)さんと近藤(こんどう)さんが結婚(けっこん)するとか。意外(いがい)じゃない?
    I heard that Endo-san and Kondo-san are getting married or something. Isn’t that surprising?
  • あの大手(おおて)家電(かでん)メーカーが開発(かいはつ)した最新(さいしん)のスマホはたくさんのブロートウェアがインストールされているせいで動作(どうさ)がものすごく重(おも)いとか
    I heard that the latest smartphone developed by that major appliance manufacturer performs extremely slow because of all the bloatware that comes installed, or something like that.
  • 高橋(たかはし)くんの彼女(かのじょ)が美人(びじん)だとか。あんなやつに美人(びじん)な彼女(かのじょ)ができたとは信(しん)じられないけどな。
    I heard that Takahashi’s girlfriend is beautiful or something. I can't believe that a guy like that could have a beautiful girlfriend, though.
  • あの人(ひと)は実(じつ)はお金持(かねも)ちだとか
    I heard that person is actually rich or something.
This meaning of ‘or something’ when using とか is fairly casual and will often be heard in everyday conversation.
Caution - This combination of と and か may appear the same as the とか used to indicate lists, but the former is simply a combination of the case-marking particle と, and the adverbial particle か, while the latter is a single listing particle. Listing particles are known as 並立助詞(へいりつじょし) in Japanese. Despite this, both structures are originally combinations of と and か, and may be thought to have some overlap in meaning.
Slow Male
Hide All
Hide Japanese
Hide English
めがねちゃん:「彼(かれ)昨日(きのう)何(なん)て言(い)ったか覚(おぼ)えてる?」
ヤンキー君:「明日(あした)、11時(じ)ごろに学校(がっこう)前(まえ)で会(あ)おうとか言(い)っていたようだけど、定(さだ)かではない。」
Megane-chan: "Do you remember what he said yesterday?"
Yankee-kun: "He said, 'lets meet in front of school around 11' or something like that, but I am not really sure."
Play  
社長(しゃちょう)は年末(ねんまつ)年始(ねんし)に温泉(おんせん)旅行(りょこう)に行(い)ってらっしゃるとか
I heard that the company president is going on a hot springs trip over New Years or something like that.
Play  
AKB48という音楽(おんがく)グループは解散(かいさん)するとか
I heard that the music group called AKB48 is going to break up or something like that.
Play  
Online
japanesetest4you
Books
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 292