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.
He quoted Shakespeare.
Natural way to quote speech in conversation. Use with direct or indirect quotes.
He said, "I'll come next week."
Formal verb for stating or quoting, common in news reports.
The president stated, "Reform is necessary."
Casual quoting particle, equivalent to 〜と. Used in informal speech.
He said he's coming next week.
To give an estimated cost for a service or product
To provide a formal written estimate or quotation. Common in business.
Could you give me a quote for the repair?
Noun meaning estimate or quotation. Often used with 〜を取る (to get a quote).
To present a price, slightly more formal. Used in negotiations.
Please quote a price to the other party.
Loanword from English, used in financial contexts like stock quotes.
The punctuation marks " " or 「」 used to indicate quoted text
General term for quotation marks. In Japanese, 「」 are standard.
Please put this sentence in quotes.
In Japanese writing, corner brackets 「」 are the standard quotation marks. They function like English " ".
He answered, "Yes."
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.
He says he's coming.
見積もりは無料です。
The quote is free.
Check the stock quote.
Loanword for English-style quotation marks " ". Less common than 引用符.
In English, we use quotation marks.