quotation N2 common casualpolite
〜とか(で) — I heard that ~
〜とか(で) ・ とか
Builds on とか
Meaning
- I hear that ~ / ~ or something / apparently ~ — relays hearsay with a vague, non-committal tone
Key sentence
彼は来月結婚するとか。
I hear he's getting married next month or something.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clause (plain) + とか / とかで | [plain clause] + とか(で) | 風邪をひいたとかで休んだ |
When: Casual; relays second-hand information while staying deliberately vague, so the speaker isn't pinned to its accuracy. とかで adds 'and for that (stated) reason'.
Examples
店長は今日は来ないとか。
Apparently the manager isn't coming in today.
急用ができたとかで、彼女は先に帰った。
She left early — something came up, or so I heard.
When you can't use it
- This sentence-ending とか is hearsay/vagueness, distinct from the listing とか ('A とか B', things like A and B). とかで supplies a reported reason for what follows.
Easily confused with
そうだ そうだ (hearsay) relays information straightforwardly ('I hear that ~'); とか relays it more vaguely and casually, hedging on whether it's exactly right. って って quotes or relays directly ('he said ~'); とか softens the report with deliberate vagueness ('~ or something, apparently'). 〜とか The base とか lists examples ('A とか B とか'); this とか(で) is the derived hearsay / vague-report use at the end of a clause.
See 〜とか(で) in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜とか(で) the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.