quotation N5 essential casualpolitewritten
〜と — quotative と
〜と ・ と
Meaning
- (quotation marker) — packages what is said, thought, or named before a verb like 言う・思う・書く
Key sentence
「行く」と言った。
He said, "I'll go."
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A quoted word or clause | [direct quote 「…」 or plain-form clause] + と + 言う/思う/聞く… | 雨が降ると思う / 「はい」と答えた |
Examples
母は「気をつけて」と言った。
My mother said, "Take care."
彼は来ないと聞いた。
I heard that he isn't coming.
この花は何という名前ですか。
What is this flower called?
When you can't use it
- The clause before と stays in plain form even in polite speech: 行きますと思います is wrong → 行くと思います. The politeness lives on the final verb (思います), not inside the quote.
Easily confused with
See 〜と in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜と the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.