Reported Speech in Japanese: To Iu, Sou Desu, Rashii and Tte

To report what someone said in Japanese, put their words before と言いました (to iimashita, “said”): 田中さんは明日休むと言いました (Mr Tanaka said he’ll be off tomorrow). The reported part is usually in plain form, even if the speaker was polite, and the politeness goes on 言いました at the end. To pass on news you have heard, use plain form + そうです (“I hear that…”), and in casual speech って replaces と言っていた. This guide covers each pattern, when to use which, and the mistakes learners make most.

Quoting: ~と言いました

• Direct quote: 先生は「宿題を出してください」と言いました。The teacher said, “Please hand in your homework.” The words go inside 「」 exactly as spoken.
• Indirect quote: 先生は宿題を出すように言いました。The teacher told us to hand in our homework.
• Reporting a statement: 山田さんは会議に遅れると言っていました。Ms Yamada said she would be late for the meeting.

と言っていました (was saying) is very common for passing on a message, because it sounds softer than と言いました.

Passing on news: plain form + そうです

Use this when you are sharing information you heard or read, not something you know first-hand.

• 明日は雨が降るそうです。I hear it’s going to rain tomorrow.
• あの店は来月閉まるそうです。Apparently that shop is closing next month.

Add the source with によると: 天気予報によると、明日は雨だそうです. Don’t confuse this with stem + そうです (“looks like”): 雨が降りそうです means “It looks like it’s going to rain.”

Apparently: らしい

らしい also means “it seems / I heard,” but it is a little more casual and less certain than そうです: 彼、会社を辞めるらしいよ (Apparently he’s quitting).

Casual speech: って

In conversation, って often replaces と言っていた or と: 田中さん、明日来られないって (Tanaka says he can’t come tomorrow). It also works for asking what something means: 「ワリカン」って何？ (What does “warikan” mean?)

Thoughts and opinions: と思います

The same と marks what you think: 来週のほうがいいと思います (I think next week is better). To report someone else’s opinion, use と思っています or と言っていました, because Japanese rarely states another person’s thoughts directly.

Common mistakes

• Keeping です/ます inside an indirect quote. Say 休むと言いました, not 休みますと言いました (that sounds like a direct quote).
• Forgetting だ with nouns and na-adjectives. 雨だそうです, 静かだそうです.
• Mixing up the two そうです. Plain form + そう = hearsay; stem + そう = looks like.
• Using って with your boss. Keep it for friends and family; use と言っていました at work.

These patterns rely on the plain form, so see verb conjugation basics and casual vs polite Japanese. For passing on messages at work, see phone calls at work.

How Hanabuddies can help

Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can practise these patterns through real tasks: passing on a message, sharing news and retelling a story. Your first 15 minutes are a free trial.