とか…or so I hear
At the end of something you heard, とか is "…or something like that". You pass the news on lightly, without being sure of the details or of who said it.
I heard from a neighbor that the bakery by the station is closing next month, or something like that.
How to form it
Plain form + とか。
A noun or な-adjective takes だ: 空き家だとか. The sentence stops at とか, or goes on with とかで: "…or something, so".
- The source
- Whoever told you, or just talk that is going around. 〜から聞いたんだけど or 〜の話では often comes first.
- Tone
- Light and unsure: you may not have it right.
- Where you'll meet it
- Conversation, casual or polite, and the dialogue of novels and dramas. Not in a report, where the source has to be clear.
In use
From what a colleague says, the new department head used to be a newspaper reporter, or something like that.
I heard from someone in the neighborhood association that there'll be no fireworks display this year, or something.
Yamada is off today. A cold or something, I hear.
とかで gives a reason you only half heard.
To the person the news is about
Said to the very person, とか brings up something you heard about them and leaves them room to tell you more.
Tanaka-san, I hear you're being transferred to Osaka next month. We'll miss you.
The talk is polite, but とか still follows the plain form.
Close neighbours
とか～とかN4
After examples, not after news: "things like", "or something". ラーメンとか？, a suggestion, is the listing とか too.
On trips I take things like a change of clothes and medicine.
んだってN3
For friends, and with no doubt in it: you pass on what someone told you.
Yuki said that a movie theater is going to open behind the station.
そうだN4
"I hear", passed on as you got it, with no "or something" in it. It is also the one for writing.
According to the city's announcement, the municipal pool will reopen on the tenth of next month.
らしいN4
"Apparently". It can also be your own guess from signs; とか is for what you heard.
Apparently Tanaka is getting married next month.
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
佐藤さん、
Choose an answer to see why.
2A colleague says this to you. What is she doing?
来週、
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
I hear a movie theater is opening behind the station, or something.
I heard from my sister that the weekend festival is going ahead as planned even if it rains, or something.
According to an old classmate, the teacher was still in their twenties back then, or something like that.
The rumor is that a hotel is going up on that empty lot or something, and the neighborhood is a little stirred up about it.