quotation N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜ように言う — tell someone to ~
〜ように言う ・ ようにいう
Builds on ように
Meaning
- tell / ask someone to ~ — reports an indirect command or request without quoting the exact words
Key sentence
先生は学生に静かにするように言った。
The teacher told the students to be quiet.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary or ない-form) + ように + 言う / 頼む / 伝える | V(る／ない) + ように + [verb of telling] | 早く来るように / 触らないように |
Examples
母に、帰りが遅くなると伝えるように頼んだ。
I asked her to tell my mother I'd be home late.
医者は私に、お酒を控えるように言った。
The doctor told me to cut down on alcohol.
Easily confused with
Notes
- The reporting verb varies with the act: 言う (tell), 頼む (ask a favor), 伝える (pass on a message), 注意する (warn). Negative commands use Vない + ように (遅れないように言う).
See 〜ように言う in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ように言う 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.