Traditional Ainu architecture in a Hokkaido community

Activities: What are hearsay expressions in Japanese?

By: Mayumi Ito
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our Japanese Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Exercise 1: What did you hear?

For each situation, complete a sentence using one of the hearsay markers listed in the table below. The key words are provided in the Word Bank. Remember, you have to change the form of the words as needed. Each hearsay marker can be used only once, so choose wisely!

Hearsay markers

  • 〜そうだ

    sōda

  • 〜らしい

    rashii

  • 〜んだって

    da tte

  • 〜ということだ

    to iu koto da

  • 〜とのことだ

    to no koto da

  • 〜とか

    toka

  • Situation

    You’ve heard through the grapevine that the daughter of your acquaintance has passed the entrance examination for a prestigious national university. Let’s send them a congratulatory message!

    Vocabulary

    〜に合格される[gōkaku sareru](to pass the (entrance) exam (in the respectful form)), 国立大学[kokuritsu daigaku](national university)

    お嬢さんが。おめでとうございます！
    Ojōsan ga ... . Omedetō gozaimasu.
    I’ve heard that your daughter passed the (entrance) exam for a national university. Congratulations!

    Sample answer: 国立大学に合格されたとか[kokuritsu daigaku ni gōkaku sareta toka](I've heartd she passed the (entrance) exam for a national university)
    Note: とか is often used in personal correspondences when the information source is not certain.

  • Situation

    In your neighborhood, an exciting rumor is going around. It’s been whispered that the new owner of the house by the lake might be a famous movie star! Half excited, half incredulous, you relay the information to your sibling.

    Vocabulary

    俳優[haiyū](actor), 有名な[yūmeina](famous)

    うわさによると、あの家を買ったのはよ。ほんとかな。
    Uwasa ni yoru to, ano ie o katta no wa ... yo. Honto kana.
    Rumor has it that the person who bought that house is a famous actor. I wonder if it’s true.　

    Sample answer: 有名な俳優らしい[yūmeina haiyū rashii](rumor has it he is a famous actor)
    Note: らしい is often used when the information source is uncertain (as in rumors). Did you remember to delete だ from a noun + だ before adding らしい?

  • Situation

    When you met Mr. Toyota yesterday, he asked you to say hi to your coworker Mr. Matsuda. Today, you meet Mr. Matsuda in the elevator. Let’s convey Mr. Toyota’s greeting to Mr. Matsuda!
    (Hint: you heard the message yesterday.)

    Vocabulary

    よろしく[yoroshiku](say hello)

    豊田さんが松田さんに よ。
    Toyota san ga Matsuda san ni ... yo.
    Mr. Toyota said hello to you, Mr. Matsuda.

    Sample answer: よろしくとのことでした[yoroshiku to no koto deshita]
    Note: 〜とのことだ can be used in the past tense to indicate you obtained the information in the past. It can also be used to relay a personal message.

  • Situation

    You are working as an intern for a local newspaper. You are assigned to write a short article on a new neighborhood park that is being under construction. When you interview a person in charge at the city hall, they tell you that the construction will be completed next month. Let’s report that in your article!

    Vocabulary

    完成する[kansei suru](to be completed), 来月[raigetsu](next month)

    担当者の話では、公園は。
    Tantōsha no hanashi de wa, kōen wa ... .
    According to what the person in charge says, the park will be completed next month.

    Sample answer: 来月完成するということだ[raigetsu kansei suru to iu koto da](it will be completed next month)
    Note: In formal writings such as newspaper articles, academic papers, business reports, we commonly use the plain style (it’s not only for casual speech). In newspaper articles, 〜ということだ or 〜とのことだ is preferred over そうだ. Since 〜とのことだ is used in problem #3, we need to use 〜ということだ here.

  • Situation

    You are talking to your best friend Yoko on the phone. She says she has nothing to do this weekend. This morning, you happened to talk to a mutual friend John and know that he is free, too. Let’s make a suggestion to Yoko.

    Vocabulary

    暇だ[hima da](to have nothing to do; be free)

    ジョンも週末。三人で遊びに行かない？
    Jon mo shūmatsu ... . San’nin de asobi ni ikanai?
    I’ve heard John is also free this weekend. Why don’t we go out to have fun as a group of three?

    Sample answer: 暇なんだって[hima nandatte](he's free)
    Note: Did you remember to replace だ with な before adding the na-adjective to んだって?

  • Situation

    You are making small talk with your new boss who has just been transferred from Okinawa. You happen to have a friend who lives there. Let’s seek confirmation from your boss about a piece of information you have obtained from your Okinawan friend.

    Vocabulary

    暖かい[atatakai](warm)

    沖縄は冬も 。
    Okinawa wa furyu mo ... .
    I’ve heard that Okinawa is warm even in winter, am I right?

    Sample answer: 暖かいそうですね[atatakai sōdesu ne](it's said to be warm, isn't it?)
    Note: You have heard the information from a reliable source. Did you remember to add ね at the end?

Exercise 2: Dialogues

Complete each short dialogue by choosing the correct, or more appropriate, option in the given context.

  • Neighbors are making small talk on the street:

    • A: 今悪い風邪が流行っているそうですよ。
      Ima warui kaza ga hayatte iru sō desu yo.
      I’ve heard that bad colds are currently going around.

    • B: そう ですね。気をつけなくては。
      Sō ... desu ne. Ki o tsukenakute wa.
      I’ve heard so too. We’ve got to be careful.

  • At the beginning of the semester, college students are talking about one of their teachers:

    • A: 先輩に聞いたんだけど、斉藤先生は時間にそうだよ。
      Senpai ni kiita nda kedo, Saitō sensei wa jikan ni ... sōda yo.
      I’ve heard from an upperclassman that Professor Saito is strict about time.

    • B: えーっ、じゃあ、遅刻しないようにしなきゃ。
      Ē, jā, chikoku shinai yō ni shinakya.
      Oh, no! Well then, I must try not to be late (to their class).

  • A and B are heading to a client office in a company car:

    • A: 道路交通情報、都市高速は渋滞しているそうですよ。
      Dōro kōtsū jōhō ... , toshi kōsoku wa jūtai shite iru sōdesu yo.
      According to the road traffic information, the urban expressway is backed up.

    • B: じゃあ、別のルートで行きましょう。
      Jā, betsu no rūto de ikimashō.
      Well then, let’s choose a different route.

  • After work, A calls their friend B who works at a different company:

    • A: えーっ、今日も残業？
      Ē, kyō mo zangyō?
      Oh no, are you working overtime today too?

    • B: そうなんだ。入社するときは、残業はないのに・・・。
      Sō nan da. Nyūsha suru toki wa, zangyō wa nai ... noni…
      That’s right. Even though I was told that there would be no overtime when I joined the company…

  • A sends an important text message to their teammate B:

    • A: 悪天候のため、今日の練習は中止だ 。
      Akutenkō no tame, kyō no renshū wa chūshi da ... .
      I’ve heard that today’s practice will be canceled due to bad weather.

    • B: 了解です。連絡ありがとう。
      Ryōkai desu. Renraku arigatō.
      OK. Thank you for letting me know.

  • A is seeking a confirmation from Jack (B) for what they have heard about him:

    • A: ねえ、ジャックさん、ラーメンがんだって？
      Nē, Jakku san, rāmen ga ... ndatte?
      Hey, Jack, I’ve heard that you love ramen, am I right?

    • B: うん！ラーメン、最高！毎日食べても飽きないよ。
      Un! Rāmen saikō! Mainichi tabete mo akinai yo.
      Yeah! Ramen is the best! I don’t get tired of it even if I eat it everyday.

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