Translation guide
The English word "quote" has several distinct uses: citing someone's words, stating a price, and referring to quotation marks. Each meaning requires different Japanese expressions.
To repeat or reference what someone said or wrote
Standard verb for quoting text or speech. Used in formal and academic contexts.
彼はシェイクスピアを引用した。
He quoted Shakespeare.
Natural way to quote speech in conversation. Use with direct or indirect quotes.
To give an estimated cost for a service or product
To provide a formal written estimate or quotation. Common in business.
修理の見積もりを出してもらえますか。
Could you give me a quote for the repair?
The punctuation marks " " or 「」 used to indicate quoted text
The verb 引用する only means to cite text or speech. For price quotes, use 見積もり or 価格を提示する.
Both と and って mark quoted speech. と is neutral/formal; って is casual and often used in conversation. って can also mark hearsay.
彼は来るって。
He says he's coming.
He said, "I'll come next week."
Formal verb for stating or quoting, common in news reports.
大統領は「改革が必要だ」と述べた。
The president stated, "Reform is necessary."
Casual quoting particle, equivalent to 〜と. Used in informal speech.
彼、来週来るって。
He said he's coming next week.
Noun meaning estimate or quotation. Often used with 〜を取る (to get a quote).
見積もりは無料です。
The quote is free.
To present a price, slightly more formal. Used in negotiations.
先方に価格を提示してください。
Please quote a price to the other party.
Loanword from English, used in financial contexts like stock quotes.
株価のクォートを確認する。
Check the stock quote.
General term for quotation marks. In Japanese, 「」 are standard.
この文を引用符で囲んでください。
Please put this sentence in quotes.
Loanword for English-style quotation marks " ". Less common than 引用符.
英語ではクォーテーションマークを使う。
In English, we use quotation marks.
In Japanese writing, corner brackets 「」 are the standard quotation marks. They function like English " ".
彼は「はい」と答えた。
He answered, "Yes."