JLPT N5EverydayAnd, with, quoting

とand; with; (say, think) that

と has three everyday jobs. Between two nouns it is "and". After a person it is "with". After what someone said or thought, it marks the quote.

and

私わたしはりんごとバナナを買かいました。

I bought apples and bananas.

with

母ははとスーパーへ行いきました。

I went to the supermarket with my mother.

what you think

私わたしは、この映えい画がは少すこし長ながいと思おもいます。

I think this movie is a little long.

And

Noun + と + noun

Nouns only.

With

Person + と + verb

Also と一いっ緒しょに, "together with". To ask: だれと.

Quoting

Words, or a plain-form sentence + と + 言いう／思おもう

To ask: 何なんと言いいましたか, "what did they say?"

Which と is it?

What stands on each side of it tells you.

Before と	After と	と means
A noun	Another noun: パンと卵たまご	and
A person	Something you do together: 友とも達だちと行いく	with
A thing or a person	同おなじ, 違ちがう	as, from: what you compare it with
Someone's words, or a sentence in the plain form	言いう, 思おもう, 聞きく, 書かく	that: what was said or thought
A verb or an adjective: 春はるになると	What happens as a result	when, if

And: a list of nouns

と names every item: these and nothing more. The particle for the whole list comes once, after the last noun.

今日きょうの朝ちょう食しょくはパンと卵たまごです。

Today's breakfast is bread and eggs.

かばんに財さい布ふと鍵かぎを入いれました。

I put my wallet and keys in the bag.

One を, after the last noun.

メニューは、カレーとサラダとスープです。

The menu consists of curry, salad, and soup.

With three or more, と goes between each. English uses commas and one "and".

Nouns only

English "and" joins anything. と joins nouns only. Two actions are joined with the て-form, and two adjectives with くて or で: 安やすくておいしい, "cheap and good". A new sentence can open with そして, "and", mostly in stories, essays and speeches; for what you did next, people say それから.

Not said: 朝あさご飯はんを食たべましたと、学がっ校こうへ行いきました。

(I ate breakfast and went to school.)

朝あさご飯はんを食たべて、学がっ校こうへ行いきました.

と or や?

兄あにと姉あねが来きました。

My older brother and older sister came.

Those two, and nobody else.

兄あにや姉あねが来きました。

My older brother, older sister, and some others came.

Those two, and others as well.

With: the person you do it with

昨日きのう、田た中なかさんと話はなしました。

I talked with Tanaka yesterday.

弟おとうとは犬いぬと遊あそんでいます。

My younger brother is playing with the dog.

日にち曜よう日びに妹いもうとと一いっ緒しょにケーキを作つくりました。

I made a cake together with my younger sister on Sunday.

一いっ緒しょに is "together". It makes "with" stronger and can be left out.

だれと映えい画がを見みますか。

Who will you watch the movie with?

姉あねと見みます。

I'll watch it with my older sister.

"With" a thing is で

友とも達だちとラーメンを食たべました。

I ate ramen with a friend.

Who you were with: と.

はしでラーメンを食たべました。

I ate ramen with chopsticks.

What you used: で.

Verbs that need a second person

With 結けっ婚こんする (marry), けんかする (quarrel) and 別わかれる (break up), と marks the other person, even where English has no "with".

山やま田ださんは来らい年ねん、恋こい人びとと結けっ婚こんします。

Yamada will marry their partner next year.

会あう and 話はなす: と or に?

駅えきで友とも達だちと会あいました。

I met up with my friend at the station.

The two of you met up.

駅えきで友とも達だちに会あいました。

I met my friend at the station.

You went to see your friend, or ran into them.

話はなす splits the same way: 友とも達だちと話はなす is talking with a friend, 友とも達だちに話はなす is telling a friend.

と同おなじ, と違ちがう

と also marks what you compare something with: the same as, different from.

これと同おなじものをください。

The same as this one, please.

Quoting: what someone said or thought

The words come first, then と, then a verb such as 言いう (say), 思おもう (think), 聞きく (hear) or 書かく (write). English "that" goes before the words; と goes after them.

先せん生せいは「明日あしたは休やすみです」と言いいました。

The teacher said, "Tomorrow is a day off."

The exact words, inside 「　」, with です kept.

先せん生せいは、明日あしたは休やすみだと言いいました。

The teacher said that tomorrow was a day off.

What was said, retold in the plain form.

When you retell, what stands before と is in the plain form, however polite the end of the sentence is. A noun or a な-adjective takes だ. A verb or an い-adjective takes nothing.

友とも達だちは試し験けんは難むずかしくなかったと言いいました。

My friend said that the exam was not difficult.

天てん気き予よ報ほうで、午ご後ごから雨あめが降ふると聞ききました。

I heard in the weather forecast that it would rain from the afternoon.

と思おもいます: I think

This is how people give an opinion or a guess without sounding too sure. The thought stays in the plain form.

私わたしはこの部屋へやは静しずかだと思おもいます。

I think this room is quiet.

静しずか is a な-adjective, so it takes だ.

明日あしたは電でん車しゃが混こむと思おもいます。

I think the trains will be crowded tomorrow.

Not said: この映えい画がは長ながいですと思おもいます。

(I think this movie is long.)

長ながいと思おもいます.

と言いいます: is called

これは日本にほん語ごで何なんと言いいますか。

What do you call this in Japanese?

これは日本にほん語ごで「傘かさ」と言いいます。

This is called kasa in Japanese.

はじめまして。リンと言いいます。

Nice to meet you. My name is Lin.

Close neighbours

とN4

After a verb or an adjective, with the result after it: "when", "whenever", "if". Nobody is being quoted.

春はるになると、日ひが長ながくなります。

When spring comes, the days get longer.

やN5

"Things like A and B": a few examples, with more left unsaid.

朝あさはパンや果物くだものを食たべます。

In the morning, I eat things like bread and fruit.

～てN5

"And" between two actions.

母はははスーパーへ行いって、野や菜さいを買かいました。

My mother went to the supermarket and bought vegetables.

ってN5

In conversation the と of quoting usually comes out as って.

兄あには明日あした帰かえるって言いってた。

My older brother said he would come home tomorrow.

と思おもうN4

For "I don't think", the ない goes inside the thought: "I think he doesn't know".

彼かれはその知しらせをまだ知しらないと思おもいます。

I don't think he knows the news yet.

というN5

Before a noun: "called".

駅えき前まえに「青あお空ぞら」というカフェがあります。

There is a cafe called Aozora in front of the station.

Check yourself

1"I got up and took a shower."

Choose an answer to see why.

2"I cut the paper with scissors."

紙かみをはさみ（　　）切きりました。

Choose an answer to see why.

3"I think it will rain tomorrow."

明日あしたは雨あめが（　　）と思おもいます。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

AとBと、どちら

When you ask someone to choose between two things, と can follow both.

犬いぬと猫ねことどちらが好すきですか。

Which do you like better, dogs or cats?

More sentences

飲のみ物ものは水みずとお茶ちゃです。

The drinks are water and tea.

店みせの定てい休きゅう日びは月げつ曜よう日びと火か曜よう日びです。

The store is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

必ひつ要ようなのは、パスポートと航こう空くう券けんです。

What you need is a passport and an airline ticket.

友とも達だちと公こう園えんを散さん歩ぽします。

I take walks in the park with a friend.

来らい月げつ、大だい学がくの友とも達だちと旅りょ行こうします。

Next month, I'm going on a trip with a college friend.

弟おとうとは「あとで電でん話わする」と言いいました。

My younger brother said, "I'll call later."

母ははは今日きょうは帰かえらないと言いいました。

My mother said that she would not come home today.

新しん聞ぶんに、駅えきは来らい月げつ完かん成せいすると書かいてありました。

The newspaper said that the station would be completed next month.

English says the newspaper "said" it. Japanese says it was written there.

Compared with similar forms

"And" and "things like": joining things and actions Said, called, means: と, って and という