なり（伝聞）

Hearsay (Classical)

Level 6Sounds Like nari (denbun)

In classical Japanese (古文), なり is an auxiliary verb used for hearsay (reporting what others said) and auditory conjecture (guessing based on a sound you hear). It is distinct from the assertive copula なり.

How It Works

This auxiliary is a hallmark of Heian-period literature. It has two primary functions:

1. Hearsay (伝聞): Used to report information the speaker has heard from another source. It translates to "I hear that..." or "It is said that..."
2. Auditory Conjecture (推定): Used when the speaker makes an inference based on a sound they are currently hearing. For example, hearing rustling leaves and concluding the wind is blowing. It translates to "It sounds like..." or "It seems (based on what I hear) that..."

Technical Attachment Rules:

  • General: Attaches to the terminal form (終止形). For example: 鳴く（なく） + なり → 鳴くなり.
  • R-column Exception: For verbs like あり, をり, or auxiliaries like けり and たり, it attaches to the attributive form (連体形).
  • Sound Changes: When attached to an R-column attributive form (ending in る), the る often becomes a nasal ん (撥音便). In manuscripts, this ん is often omitted. Example: あるなり → あんなり → あなり.

Distinction from Assertive なり:
The assertive なり attaches to the attributive form or nouns and means "It is." The hearsay なり attaches to the terminal form (except R-column). Context is key when the forms look identical.

Examples (4)

  1. 男もすなる日記といふものを、女もしてみむとてするなり。

    I hear that men keep what are called 'diaries'; I, a woman, will also try to keep one.

    Word by Word: Man also do-hearsay diary called thing, woman also doing try-will saying do-assertive.

    From the Tosa Nikki. The first なる is hearsay (attached to す, the terminal form of す). The final なり is the assertive copula.

  2. 笛をいとをかしく吹き澄まして、過ぎぬなり。

    It seems (based on the sound) that someone has passed by, playing the flute most beautifully.

    Word by Word: Flute (object) very beautifully blowing-clearly, pass-by-completed-hearsay/conjecture.

    From the Sarashina Nikki. The speaker hears the flute fading away and infers that the player has passed by using なり.

  3. 都にあなりといふ猫。

    The cat that I hear is in the capital.

    Word by Word: Capital in exist-hearsay called cat.

    Here, あなり is a contraction of あるなり. Because ある is a R-column irregular verb, it uses the attributive form before the hearsay なり.

  4. 山里は冬ぞ寂しさまさりける。人目も草もかれぬなりければ。

    In the mountain village, the loneliness increases in winter. For I hear that both people's visits and the grass have withered away.

    Word by Word: Mountain-village winter (emphasis) loneliness increase-past. People-eyes also grass also wither-completed-hearsay-past-because.

    The なり here indicates hearsay regarding the state of the village in winter.

Common Mistakes

  • Attaching to the terminal form of R-column irregular verbs.

    ありなり
    あるなり / あなり

    For R-column irregular verbs (ラ変), you must use the attributive form (連体形) instead of the terminal form (終止形).

  • Confusing hearsay なり with assertive なり.

    体言 + なり (hearsay)
    終止形 + なり (hearsay)

    The hearsay auxiliary attaches to verbs in the terminal form. If you see なり attached directly to a noun (体言), it is almost certainly the assertive copula, not hearsay.

How It Connects

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なり（伝聞）Level 6Hearsay (Classical)

Learn This First

The classical hearsay particle 'nari' is used in literary or archaic contexts to report information heard from others. To understand it, learners should be familiar with the basic classical copula 'nari' and the modern Japanese equivalent for hearsay 'sou' to grasp the functional purpose of the pattern.