Quoting & Reported Speech
Learn how to quote speech, express thoughts, and report what others said in Japanese.
Quoting & Reported Speech
Japanese uses the particle と to mark quoted content — both direct quotes (exact words) and indirect quotes (paraphrased). Unlike English, Japanese doesn't change tense in indirect speech; the quoted clause keeps its original tense.
The same と particle combines with different verbs to express saying (と言う), thinking (と思う), hearing (と聞く), and more. In casual speech, と is often shortened to って.
A related but distinct pattern is という, which functions as a noun modifier meaning 'called' or 'named.' And そうだ provides another way to report hearsay without quoting anyone directly.
Place the quoted content before と言う (to say). For direct quotes, wrap the exact words in 「 」 brackets. For indirect quotes, use the plain form before と.
Direct: 「exact words」と言うIndirect: [plain form] + と言う
- 「行きます」と言った (said 'I'll go' — direct)
- 行くと言った (said they'd go — indirect)
The verb 言う conjugates normally: 言います (polite), 言った (past), 言っていた (was saying).
Examples
- The teacher said, 'There's a test tomorrow.'
先生は「明日テストがあります」と言いました。
- She was saying she's busy.
彼女は忙しいと言っていた。
- My friend said they're moving next week.
友達が来週引っ越すと言った。
- My mother says, 'Go to bed early.'
母は「早く寝なさい」と言います。
Place a clause in plain form before と思う to express what you think or believe.
[plain form] + と思う / と思います
- おいしいと思う (I think it's delicious)
- 来ないと思う (I don't think they'll come)
と思う is used for the speaker's own thoughts. For third-person thoughts, use と思っている (see next section) or add a qualifier like たぶん.
Examples
- I think it will rain tomorrow.
明日は雨が降ると思います。
- I think this movie is interesting.
この映画はおもしろいと思う。
- I don't think he'll come.
彼は来ないと思います。
- I don't think Japanese is difficult.
日本語は難しくないと思う。
と思っている expresses an ongoing belief or a plan the speaker has been considering. It differs from と思う in two key ways:
1. Intentions: と思っている signals a plan you've been thinking about, while と思う is a thought forming now. - 行こうと思う (I think I'll go — deciding now) - 行こうと思っている (I've been planning to go)
2. Third-person thoughts: と思っている can describe what someone else thinks, while と思う cannot. - 彼はまだ正しいと思っている (He still thinks he's right)
Examples
- I've been thinking of going to Japan next year.
来年、日本に行こうと思っています。
- I'm thinking about changing jobs.
転職しようと思っている。
- I think she's still angry.
彼女はまだ怒っていると思っています。
In casual speech, って replaces と for quoting. It can also replace と言う, と聞く, and other quoting verbs entirely — the verb is simply dropped.
[content] + って
- 来るって (they said they're coming)
- おいしいって聞いた (I heard it's good)
なんて is the question form, meaning 'what did [someone] say?'
Examples
- Tanaka-san said they'll come tomorrow.
田中さん、明日来るって。
- I heard that restaurant is good.
あの店、おいしいって聞いた。
- She already left, apparently.
彼女、もう帰ったって。
- What did you say?
なんて言った？
という (often written as ～という＋noun) modifies a noun to mean 'called,' 'named,' or 'known as.' It introduces or identifies something the listener may not know.
[name/description] + という + noun
- 田中という人 (a person called Tanaka)
- 「ありがとう」という言葉 (the word 'arigatou')
In casual speech, という contracts to っていう or even ってゆう.
Examples
- Have you read a manga called 'Demon Slayer'?
「鬼滅の刃」という漫画を読んだことがありますか。
- The building called Tokyo Skytree is 634 meters tall.
東京スカイツリーという建物は634メートルあります。
- There was a phone call from a customer named Tanaka.
田中というお客様からお電話がありました。
- The word 'mottainai' comes from Japanese.
「もったいない」という言葉は日本語から来ました。
Attach そうだ to the plain form of a verb, adjective, or noun to report something you heard from someone else. Unlike と言う, そうだ doesn't specify who said it — it's general hearsay.
[plain form] + そうだ / そうです
- 降るそうだ (I hear it'll rain)
- おいしいそうだ (I hear it's good)
- 学生だそうだ (I hear they're a student)
For な-adjectives and nouns, attach そうだ directly to the dictionary form (not the な/だ stem): 静かだそうだ, 先生だそうだ.
Examples
- I heard it's going to snow tomorrow.
明日は雪が降るそうです。
- I hear that restaurant is good.
あのレストランはおいしいそうだ。
- Apparently he's getting married next month.
彼は来月結婚するそうです。
- I heard this area used to be ocean.
この辺りは昔、海だったそうだ。