Posted inN3 Grammar

Understanding 「ということだ」: Reporting, Explaining, and Concluding

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

It means that… / It is said that… / The fact is that… / This is what happened.

🎯 Primary Function

To report information obtained from someone or somewhere, to state a conclusion based on evidence or reasoning, or to provide an explanation.

📋 Grammar Structure

Plain form of verb/い-adjective/な-adjective/noun + ということだ

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used to report objective information or state conclusions in a formal or semi-formal context.

😊 Informal Situations

Can be used informally, but often adds a slightly more objective or conclusive tone than direct speech.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written Japanese, especially in news articles, reports, explanations, and academic texts.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in spoken Japanese to convey reported information or explain something clearly.

💡 Common Applications

Reporting Information
Used to convey information that you heard, read, or learned from another source.
Example: ニュースによると、明日から雨が降るということだ。 (According to the news, it’s going to rain starting tomorrow.)
Stating a Conclusion
Used to express a conclusion or logical consequence based on the preceding statement or situation.
Example: 鍵がない。ということは、家に忘れてきたということだ。 (I don’t have my keys. That means I left them at home.)
Providing an Explanation
Used to clarify or explain the meaning of something or the reason for a situation.
Example: 会議が中止になった。それは、社長が急病になったということだ。 (The meeting was cancelled. That means the company president suddenly got sick.)
📊
Frequency
Very Frequent
🎚️
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
先生の話では、試験は来週あるということだ。
According to the teacher, the exam is next week.
彼女は疲れている。それは、昨日あまり眠れなかったということだ。
She looks tired. That means she didn’t sleep much yesterday.
このマークは、ここで携帯電話を使ってはいけないということだ。
This mark means you must not use mobile phones here.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Connection to Plain Form
Always attach 「ということだ」 to the plain form of the preceding word/clause.
Example: Verb: 行くということだ (iku to iu koto da), 行ったということだ (itta to iu koto da) い-adj: 寒いということだ (samui to iu koto da) な-adj: 静かだということだ (shizuka da to iu koto da) – note the だ Noun: 学生だということだ (gakusei da to iu koto da) – note the だ
Reporting vs. Direct Statement
Using 「ということだ」 adds distance and often implies the information came from elsewhere or is a more objective conclusion, unlike a direct statement of opinion.
Example: Direct: 明日は雨が降るでしょう。(I think it will rain tomorrow – based on my feeling) Reporting: ニュースによると、明日雨が降るということだ。(According to the news, it will rain tomorrow – reporting external info)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Attaching to polite form (ます/です)
✅ Always use plain form.
Incorrect: 食べますということだ Incorrect: きれいでしたということだ Correct: 食べるということだ Correct: きれいだったということだ
❌ Using it for personal, subjective opinions
✅ Use direct statements or other expressions for personal feelings.
「この映画は面白いということだ」 usually means “Someone said this movie is interesting” or “It is generally accepted that this movie is interesting,” not typically “I think this movie is interesting.”

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Can be used in both polite and informal contexts. When ending a sentence with です, it becomes more polite: 「ということだ」 -> 「ということです」.
Social Situations: Useful in situations where you need to report facts, state conclusions, or provide explanations clearly and sometimes with a degree of formality or objectivity.
Regional Variations: The core meaning is standard, but informal shortenings like 「ってことだ」 are more common in casual speech.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜ということだ vs. 〜そうです (hearsay)
「〜ということだ」 reports information often factually or as a conclusion. 「〜そうです」 specifically indicates information heard from someone else (hearsay) or appearance (it looks like…).
When to use: Use 「〜ということだ」 for factual reporting, explanations, or conclusions. Use 「〜そうです」 specifically for what you heard or observed appearance.
〜ということだ vs. 〜みたいだ / 〜らしい
「〜みたいだ」 and 「〜らしい」 indicate something appears to be the case or is said to be the case, often based on less concrete evidence than 「ということだ」 might imply for a conclusion.
When to use: Use 「〜ということだ」 for more objective reporting, conclusions, or clear explanations. Use 「〜みたいだ」 or 「〜らしい」 for expressing likelihood or appearance.
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

Connects directly to the plain form of verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives (needs だ), and nouns (needs だ).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounce と and いう clearly, followed by the rest of the phrase. 「という」 can sometimes be pronounced 「ていう」 in informal speech, leading to 「てことだ」.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 「ということだ」 as wrapping up information or a conclusion, like saying “the summary is…” or “the point is…” or “it is said that…”. The 「という」 part refers to the preceding content.

Practice Exercises
天気予報によると、明日は晴れる＿＿＿＿。
ということだ
ということで
ということが
ということ
遅刻した。それは、朝寝坊した＿＿＿＿。
ということ
ということで
ということだ
ということから
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