Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
A casual particle primarily used for quoting or reporting what someone said or what you heard.
🎯 Primary Function
To informally report information obtained from someone else or state something you heard/read.
📋 Grammar Structure
Plain form of Verb/い-Adjective/な-Adjective/Noun + って * Verb (Plain): 行くって (iku tte – [they said] they’ll go)
* い-Adjective (Plain): 楽しかったって (tanoshikatta tte – [they said] it was fun)
* な-Adjective (Plain): 暇だって (himada tte – [they said] they are free) / 暇って (hima tte – less common, but used very casually)
* Noun (Plain): 学生だって (gakusei datte – [they said] they are a student) / 学生って (gakusei tte – very common in casual speech)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Generally not used. Too informal.
Informal Situations
Very frequently used among friends, family, and close acquaintances.
Written Language
Avoid in formal writing (essays, business letters). Common in casual writing like texts or personal emails/blogs.
Spoken Language
Extremely common in everyday casual speech.
💡 Common Applications
Reporting what someone said
Used after the plain form of a verb, adjective, or noun to indicate you are repeating or reporting something someone told you. It’s a casual equivalent of 「〜と言っていました」or「〜と聞きました」.
Example: 友達が明日来ないって言ってたよ。 (My friend said they aren’t coming tomorrow.)
Reporting something you heard or read
Used to state information you acquired by hearing or reading it, in a casual manner.
Example: ニュースで、明日雨だって言ってた。 (The news said it will rain tomorrow.)
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Frequency
Very high in casual spoken Japanese.
Difficulty
Relatively easy to understand conceptually, but requires mastering plain forms. Usage in different contexts can have subtle nuances (though focusing on quotation is key for N4).
Example Sentences
田中さんが明日来ないって言ってた。
Tanaka said he isn’t coming tomorrow.
この本、面白いって聞いたよ。
I heard this book is interesting.
先生が、宿題は明日までだって言ってたよ。
The teacher said the homework is due by tomorrow.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Informal Substitute
って is a casual replacement for the more formal quotative particle と followed by verbs like 言う (iu – to say) or 聞く (kiku – to hear).
Example: 田中さんは来ないと言っていました。 (Tanaka-san said he won’t come.) -> 田中さんは来ないって言ってた。 (Tanaka-san said he won’t come.)
Requires Plain Form
The word, phrase, or clause immediately preceding って must be in its plain (dictionary) form.
Example: Verb: 食べます -> 食べるって
い-Adj: 難しいです -> 難しいって
な-Adj: 元気です -> 元気だって / 元気って
Noun: 学生です -> 学生だって / 学生って
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using the polite form (ます/です) before って
✅ Always use the plain form before って.
って connects directly to the plain form of the preceding word or clause.
❌ Using って in formal situations
✅ Use と言う/と聞く in formal contexts.
って is strictly for casual communication.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Very informal.
Social Situations: Used with friends, family, peers, and people you have a close relationship with. Avoid with superiors, elders, or in business settings.
Regional Variations: Widely used across Japan in casual speech.
🔍 Subtle Differences
って vs. と
って is the casual version of と when used for quoting or reporting speech/information.
When to use: Use って in casual, informal conversation. Use と in more standard or formal contexts (e.g., 「〜と言っていました」, 「〜と思います」).
って vs. そうです (hearsay)
Both report information heard from others. そうです is slightly more formal or objective (“It is said that…”, “I hear that…”), while って is more direct quotation/reporting in casual speech.
When to use: Use そうです when reporting general information or in slightly more formal/less direct contexts. Use って when specifically reporting what a particular person said in a casual setting.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Ensure verbs, i-adjectives, and na-adjectives/nouns are in their plain forms (present affirmative/negative, past affirmative/negative) before adding って.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced like the small tsu (っ) followed by て (te). It’s a quick, sharp sound.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of って as a casual “quote marker” or a quick “he/she/they said…”
Practice Exercises
Change the following sentence to use って: 田中さんは明日来ませんと言っていました。
田中さんは明日来ますって言ってた。
田中さんは明日来ないって言ってた。
田中さんは明日来ませんって言ってた。
田中さんは明日来なかったって言ってた。
Fill in the blank: 友達が、テストは（＿＿＿）って言ってたよ。 (easy)
簡単だ
簡単だった
簡単です
簡単だったです
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