JLPT N3Spoken, casualThree meanings

だって・んだってI heard; but, because; even

だって is three different things in conversation, and where it stands usually tells you which: at the end of a sentence, "I heard"; at the start, "but" or "because" in your own defense; after a noun, "even".

at the end: I heard

山やま田ださん、七しち時じごろ着つくんだって。

I hear Yamada's arriving around seven.

at the start: but, because

「傘かさ、持もっていかないの？」「だって、晴はれてるよ。」

"Aren't you taking an umbrella?" "But it's sunny."

after a noun: even

そんなの、子こどもだってできるよ。

Even a child can do that.

I heard

Plain form + んだって

A noun or な-adjective takes な: 休やすみなんだって, 静しずかなんだって. Or it takes だって alone: 休やすみだって.

But, because

だって、 + your reason

The reason often ends in んだ, んだよ or んだもん.

Even

Noun + だって

The spoken でも.

At the end: I heard

You tell a friend or your family some news that someone told you. Who it came from often goes first: 〜が言いってたけど, 〜に聞きいたんだけど.

店てん員いんさんが言いってたけど、この型かたは前まえの型かたより軽かるいんだって。

The clerk said this model is lighter than the previous one.

先せん生せいが言いってたけど、来らい週しゅうは授じゅ業ぎょうが休やすみなんだって。

The teacher said there's no class next week.

母ははから聞きいたんだけど、今こん度どの旅りょ行こう、参さん加か者しゃは十じゅう二に人にんだって。

I heard from my mother that twelve people are going on the trip.

With the voice going up, it asks whether the news is true, often of the person it is about.

A

来らい月げつ、結けっ婚こんするんだって？

I hear you're getting married next month?

B

うん。誰だれに聞きいたの？

Yeah. Who told you?

Said with force, it isn't news but your own words again: "I'm telling you".

信しんじてよ。本ほん当とうなんだって。

Believe me. It's true, I'm telling you.

At the start: but, because

Someone blames you, tells you what to do or asks why, and you push back with your reason. It also backs up something you have just said yourself. English picks "but" or "because"; だって is both at once. It sounds defensive, often sulky, so it stays with family and friends.

A

早はやく宿しゅく題だいを始はじめなよ。

Come on, start your homework.

B

だって、まだ晩ばんご飯はんを食たべてるんだよ。

But I'm still eating dinner.

「なんで断ことわったの？」「だって、急きゅうすぎたんだよ。」

"Why did you turn it down?" "Because it was far too sudden."

私わたしは行いかない。だって、寒さむいんだもん。

I'm not going. It's cold, that's why.

もん at the end makes it sound childish, often on purpose.

It isn't a neutral "because". At work it is answering back.

Sounds odd: 遅おくれてすみません。だって、電でん車しゃが止とまっていたんです。

Sorry I'm late. But the train had stopped.

Leave it out: 電でん車しゃが止とまっていたんです.

After a noun: even

子こどもだって is a more spoken 子こどもでも, "even a child". After 私わたし or a name it is often a protest: "me too, you know". だれだって is "anyone".

大人おとなだって、泣なきたいときはあるよ。

Even grown-ups feel like crying sometimes.

私わたしだって、行いきたかったよ。

I wanted to go too, you know.

Close neighbours

たって・だってN3

The spoken でも and ても: "even" after a noun, and "even if" on a verb, where 読よんだ gives 読よんだって.

何なん度ど読よんだって、この説せつ明めいじゃ分わからないよ。

No matter how many times you read it, this explanation won't make sense.

ってN5

The quoting って: 来こないって, "he says he isn't coming". Before 言いってた or 聞きいた, 休やすみだって is only 休やすみだ plus this って, not "even".

明日あしたは休やすみだって言いってたよ。

She said tomorrow is a day off.

そうだN4

The same news in polite talk and in writing.

山やま田ださんは七しち時じごろ着つくそうです。

I hear Yamada will arrive around seven.

らしいN4

Also for friends, but at more of a distance: "apparently". んだって is what someone told you.

田た中なかさん、来らい月げつ結けっ婚こんするらしいよ。

Apparently Tanaka is getting married next month.

とかN3

Vaguer: you only half heard it.

港みなとの近ちかくに新あたらしい市いち場ばができるとか。

I hear a new market is opening near the harbor, or something.

もの・もんN3

Closes the excuse that だって opens.

仕し方かたないよ。電でん車しゃが止とまっていたんだもん。

I couldn't help it. The train had stopped running.

Check yourself

1Someone says "Late again?", and gets this answer. What is the answer doing?

だって、バスが来こなかったんだよ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one says you heard it from someone?

Choose an answer to see why.

3"I hear it's going to rain tomorrow."

明日あしたは雨あめ（　　）んだって。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

んだってね checks news that the other person may have heard too. And 何なんだって？ is "What did you say?", in surprise.

田た中なかさん、会かい社しゃを辞やめるんだってね。

I hear Tanaka's leaving the company, right?

More sentences

アキに聞きいたんだけど、明日あしたの練れん習しゅうは中ちゅう止しなんだって。

Aki told me that tomorrow's practice has been canceled.

兄あにの話はなしでは、平へい日じつの美び術じゅつ館かんはかなり静しずかなんだって。

My brother says the art museum is pretty quiet on weekdays.

「また電でん車しゃに乗のり遅おくれたの？」「だって、目め覚ざましが鳴ならなかったんだ。」

"Did you miss the train again?" "But my alarm didn't go off."

「この映えい画が、見みないの？」「だって、怖こわいのは苦にが手てなんだ。」

"You're not watching this film?" "Because I'm no good with scary ones."

Compared with similar forms

Passing on what you heard: "he said", "I hear", "they say"