quotation N2 uncommon politewritten

とのこと — I'm told that ~ / word is that ~

とのこと

Builds on との

Meaning

I'm told that ~ / word is that ~ / according to what I heard ~ — relays a message received, politely and at a remove

Sentence-ending との + こと(です) that relays information the speaker was given by someone else, without vouching for it personally. It's the polite, business-correspondence way to pass on a message: 部長ぶちょうは明日あした出張しゅっちょうとのことです ('I'm told the manager is away on business tomorrow'). Because it frames the content as a received report, it keeps the speaker at a courteous distance from it — the staple of relaying email and phone messages.

Key sentence

田中たなか様さまは、三時さんじに到着とうちゃくされるとのことです。

I'm told Mr. Tanaka will arrive at three.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Clause (plain) + とのこと(だ/です); also Nだ → Nとのこと	[plain clause] + とのことだ / とのことです	延期えんきになった → 延期えんきになったとのことです

When: Polite relaying of second-hand information — business emails, phone messages, passing on what someone else said. The speaker is the messenger, not the source.

Examples

先方せんぽうは、その条件じょうけんで問題もんだいないとのことでした。

The other party said there was no problem with those terms.

お電話でんわがありまして、明日あしたは来こられないとのことです。

There was a call — I'm told they can't come tomorrow.

天気予報てんきよほうによると、週末しゅうまつは晴はれるとのことだ。

According to the forecast, it's going to be clear this weekend.

Easily confused with

そうだそうだ (hearsay) plainly states 'I hear that ~'; とのこと frames it as a *message received and relayed*, more polite and at a remove — the choice for passing on what a third party communicated. ということだということだ has two jobs — hearsay 'I hear ~' and conclusion 'that means ~'. とのこと only does the relayed-hearsay job, and does it more deferentially. との Same root, different position: との modifies a following noun ('the report that ~'); とのこと ends the sentence as relayed hearsay ('I'm told that ~').

Notes

Very common in business Japanese to close a relayed message; 〜とのことでございます is the extra-polite (keigo) version.

See とのこと in real sentences

Jengo shows とのこと the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.

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