JLPT N5EverydaySpoken

ってsays that…; as for…

って is the spoken と: it marks what someone said, thought or wrote. After a noun it also brings something up, so you can ask about it or say what you think of it.

quoting

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.

asking about a word

「定てい食しょく」って何なんですか。

What is a "teishoku"?

bringing something up

この町まちって、夜よるは静しずかだね。

This town is quiet at night, isn't it?

Quoting

What was said + って + 言いう／思おもう／聞きく

Exact words in 「　」, or the plain form: 行いくって言いってた. A noun or a な-adjective usually keeps its だ: 休やすみだって言いってた.

With the verb left off

What was said + って

"He says…", "I hear…".

Bringing something up

Noun + って + a question or a comment

Saying what someone said

The words come first, then って, then the verb. A quoted sentence takes って, not を. To pass on what someone told you, the usual verb is 言いってた, or 言いっていました in polite speech.

健けんはその映えい画がを見みたって言いってた。

Ken said he had seen that movie.

English shifts to "had seen". Japanese keeps the words as they were said: 見みた.

佐さ藤とうさんは「少すこし遅おくれます」って言いっていました。

Ms. Sato said, "I'll be a little late."

みんな来くるって思おもってた。

I thought everyone was coming.

この店みせ、おいしいって聞きいたよ。

I heard this place is good.

って聞きいた is "I heard".

ここに「月げつ曜よう日びは休やすみ」って書かいてあるよ。

It says here, "Closed on Mondays".

Stopping at って

With the verb left off, って by itself usually means "he says" or "I hear": you are passing on someone else's words.

田た中なかさんは来こない。

Tanaka isn't coming.

You are saying so yourself.

田た中なかさんは来こないって。

Tanaka says he isn't coming.

Tanaka said so, or someone told you. You are passing it on.

With a rising voice, it asks whether that is what was said.

A

今日きょうの練れん習しゅう、休やすむって？

Did you say you're skipping practice today?

B

うん、熱ねつがあるんだ。

Yeah, I have a fever.

Asking about a word

Hold the word up with って and ask. It is the quickest way to find out what something means or what it is called.

「コスパ」ってどういう意い味みですか。

What does "kosupa" mean?

これって日本にほん語ごで何なんて言いうの？

What do you call this in Japanese?

何なんて is 何なんと. After 何なん, って is usually just て.

Bringing something up

After a noun, って puts a person or a thing in front of you both, and what follows is your reaction or your question. It is close to は, but it isn't how you state a plain fact.

田た中なかさんって、料りょう理りが上手じょうずだね。

Tanaka is good at cooking, isn't he?

このアプリって便べん利りですね。

This app is convenient, isn't it?

この新あたらしい図と書しょ館かんって、夜よるも開あいているの？

Speaking of this new library, is it open at night too?

Sounds odd: 私わたしって学がく生せいです。

I am a student.

私わたしって sounds as if you were puzzling over yourself. A plain fact takes は, or nothing: 学がく生せいです.

Close neighbours

とN5

The neutral marker, at home in speech and in writing. って stays in conversation, casual or polite.

佐さ藤とうさんは「少すこし遅おくれます」と言いっていました。

Ms. Sato said, "I'll be a little late."

という・っていうN5

"Called": a name, then the kind of thing it is. In conversation という becomes っていう, or just って.

駅えき前まえに「青あお空ぞら」っていうカフェがあるよ。

There's a cafe called Aozora in front of the station.

んだってN3

"Apparently": something you heard, passed on as news.

天てん気き予よ報ほうで言いってたけど、明日あしたは今日きょうより寒さむいんだって。

The forecast said tomorrow will be colder than today.

ってばN1

"I told you", to someone who isn't listening. って alone can do this too: 大だい丈じょう夫ぶだって.

終おわったってば。二に回かいも確かく認にんした。

I told you, I finished. I checked twice.

待まって・行いってN5

Something else: a verb in the て-form. Its っ belongs to the verb, 待まつ or 行いく.

先さきに行いって。

Go on ahead.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

山やま田ださんは行いかないって。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Mika told you she likes cats. Which one passes that on?

Choose an answer to see why.

3A customer says this in a ramen shop. What do they want to know?

「替かえ玉だま」って何なんですか。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

美み咲さきは「あとで電でん話わする」って言いった。

Misaki said, "I'll call later."

私わたしは「大だい丈じょう夫ぶです」って答こたえた。

I answered, "I'm fine."

何なにを持もってくるって言いった？

What did you say you would bring?

美み香かは、図と書しょ館かんは六ろく時じに閉しまるって話はなしてた。

Mika was saying that the library closes at six.

この店みせって、朝あさ早はやくから開あいているね。

This shop opens early in the morning, doesn't it?

Compared with similar forms

Spoken short forms: てる, とく, ちゃう, なきゃ, って Passing on what you heard: "he said", "I hear", "they say"Said, called, means: と, って and という