Posted inN4 Grammar

「〜と聞いた」ってどう使うの？JLPT N4文法

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Expresses “I heard that…” or “I was told that…”.

🎯 Primary Function

Used to convey information that the speaker received from another source (e.g., hearing someone say it, reading it). It indicates the information is not the speaker’s direct knowledge or opinion, but rather something they learned secondhand.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Plain form of Verb / い-Adjective / な-Adjective / Noun] + と聞く (to kiku) / と聞きました (to kikimashita) / と聞いた (to kiita)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in formal situations to politely relay information received from others, often with the polite form 聞きました.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in informal conversations to share news, rumors, or information learned from friends or colleagues.

✍️ Written Language

Used in written contexts such as emails, articles, or reports when referencing information from a source.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common and frequently used in everyday spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Reporting information or news heard from others.
Used to tell someone else something you learned by hearing it from a person, or sometimes by reading it.
Example: 友達が来月日本へ行くと聞きました。 (I heard from a friend that they will go to Japan next month.)
Sharing rumors or common knowledge.
Used to mention something you heard through the grapevine or something generally known by report.
Example: この近くに新しいカフェができたと聞いたよ。 (I heard a new cafe opened near here.)
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📊
Frequency
Very frequent in daily conversation and general communication.
🎚️
Difficulty
Relatively easy. The main point for N4 is remembering to use the plain form before と.
Example Sentences
明日は雨が降ると聞きました。
I heard it will rain tomorrow.
この本は面白いと聞きました。
I heard this book is interesting.
彼は日本人じゃないと聞きました。
I heard he is not Japanese.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Use the Plain Form
The phrase or clause immediately preceding と must be in its plain (casual) form.
Example: Verb: 行く、行った、行かない、行かなかった い-Adj: 高い、高かった、高くない、高くなかった な-Adj: 暇だ、暇だった、暇じゃない、暇じゃなかった Noun: 学生だ、学生だった、学生じゃない、学生じゃなかった (Note: だ is often dropped before と, especially after な-adjectives and nouns, but the だ form is considered the plain form.)
Indicates a Source
Using と聞く explicitly states that the information came from something you heard (a person, the radio, etc.).
Example: ニュースで事故があったと聞きました。 (I heard on the news that there was an accident.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using the ます form before と.
✅ Use the plain form instead.
Incorrect: 明日は雨が降りますと聞きました。 Correct: 明日は雨が降ると聞きました。 The structure requires the plain form before と.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Using 聞きました (kikimashita) is the polite form. 聞いた (kiita) is the casual form.
Social Situations: Appropriate for most social situations when relaying information. Be mindful of whether a casual (聞いた) or polite (聞きました) form is suitable.
Regional Variations: The core grammar is standard, but pronunciation or surrounding particles/sentence endings might vary regionally.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜と聞く vs. 〜そうです (hearsay)
Both report information heard from others. 〜そうです can sometimes be used based on appearance or feeling (“it looks like,” “it sounds like”), whereas 〜と聞く specifically indicates the information was conveyed auditorily or through reading.
When to use: Use 〜と聞く when you want to emphasize that the information was explicitly heard or told to you. Use 〜そうです when reporting hearsay, which can sometimes be less direct than being personally told.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

The verb 「聞く」 can be conjugated to indicate tense (聞きました – past polite, 聞いた – past casual) or used in the dictionary form (聞くと) or other forms depending on the context, but the phrase *before* と must be in its plain form.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the plain form before と flows smoothly. The と is pronounced clearly.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 「と」 as marking the content of what you 「聞いた」 (heard). Plain form + と = “Plain form content,” and then add 「聞いた」 = “I heard [plain form content].”.

Practice Exercises
明日は雨が＿＿＿＿と聞きました。 (Ashita wa ame ga ______ to kikimashita.)
降ります (furimasu)
降る (furu)
降った (futta)
降らないです (furanai desu)
この本は＿＿＿＿と聞きました。 (Kono hon wa ______ to kikimashita.)
面白いです (omoshiroi desu)
面白い (omoshiroi)
面白かった (omoshirokatta)
面白くないです (omoshirokunai desu)
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