と言う・
To report what someone said, the words come first, then と, then 言う. と言いました tells it as something that happened. と言っていました passes on what you heard to someone who wasn't there.
the exact words
Tanaka said, "I'm taking tomorrow off."
retold
My younger sister said that she would study at home today.
passing it on
The children said they wanted to come here again.
The exact words
「words as they were said」 + と言う
Inside 「 」 the words keep their です and ます.
Retold
Plain form + と言う
A noun or a な-adjective takes だ: 休みだと言った. The person told takes に: 母に言った.
To ask
何と言っていましたか
"What did they say?"
Exact words, or retold
The receptionist said, "The meeting starts at three."
The exact words, inside 「 」, with です kept.
The receptionist said that the meeting started at three.
Retold in the plain form: です becomes だ.
When you retell, what stands before と is plain, however polite the end of the sentence is. A quoted sentence takes と, not を.
The tense stays as it was said
English shifts the tense: "I'm busy" becomes "she said she was busy". Japanese keeps the words as they were said.
She said she was busy.
Her words: 忙しい, "I'm busy".
She said she had been busy.
Her words: 忙しかった, "I was busy".
Which ending?
| Ending | What it does |
|---|---|
| と言いました | "Said". Tells it as something that happened. Also for your own words. |
| と言っていました | "Said", "was saying". Passes on what someone else told you. |
| と言っています | "Says". What they are saying now, or keep saying. |
| と言います | "Say". What people say as a rule, or what a thing is called. |
So a message for someone is given with と言っていました.
What did Tanaka say?
He said he'd be a little late.
Yesterday Kenta said he would call later, but in the end he never did.
says
My younger brother says he doesn't want to go.
as a rule
In Japan, people say "itadakimasu" before eating.
と聞きました: I heard that
With 聞く in place of 言う, the same と is "I heard that". Who told you usually takes から, or goes unsaid.
I heard from the teacher that there's no class tomorrow.
I heard you're going back to your country next month. Is that true?
With が, to the person the news is about: a question or a comment follows.
I asked the station attendant, "What time is the next train?"
聞く is also "ask". After a question, と聞きました is "I asked".
Said he wouldn't, or didn't say he would
He said he wouldn't go.
He spoke. His words were "I'm not going".
He didn't say he would go.
The words "I'll go" never came.
Close neighbours
ってN5
In conversation と usually comes out as って, and the verb can drop: 遅れるって, "he says he'll be late".
My older brother said he would come home tomorrow.
ように言うN4
"Told someone to": an order or a request, retold.
The teacher told the students to submit their essays by tomorrow.
そうだN4
"I hear that": news you picked up. Who said it can go unnamed.
I hear that the manager of the new shop is Yamada.
というN5
Before a noun it gives a name: "called". Nobody is speaking.
There is a cafe called Aozora in front of the station.
Check yourself
1Ken told you: "I'm sleepy." Which one passes that on?
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
彼女は
Choose an answer to see why.
3At this morning's meeting the manager announced that Friday is a day off. A colleague who missed it asks you what was said. Which do you answer?
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
Kenta said, "I'll call later."
The department manager said that he was against that plan.
The store clerk said that this product would arrive next week.
My father said he often swam in the sea when he was young.
She said that the movie had been very interesting.