って（引用）

Casual Quotation

Level 2Sounds Like tte

って is the casual version of the quotative particle と. It is used in daily conversation to say 'he said,' 'I heard,' or 'speaking of...'

How It Works

って is one of the most versatile particles in casual Japanese. Its function depends on the context:

1. Casual Quotation
It replaces と when quoting what someone said or thought. It is often followed by verbs like 言う（いう） or 思う（おもう）. In very casual speech, the verb is often dropped entirely.

  • Example: 行くって言った。(He said he's going.)

2. Hearsay (I heard that...)
When used at the end of a sentence, it functions like 〜だそうだ. For nouns and な-adjectives, you must add だ before って.

  • Example: 明日は休みだって。(I heard tomorrow is a holiday.)

3. Topic Marker / Definition
It can replace は or というのは to introduce a topic or ask for a definition. It carries the nuance of 'Speaking of X...' or 'The thing called X...'

  • Example: 田中さんって誰？ (Who is [this person called] Tanaka?)

4. Asking for Clarification
In casual conversation, って used alone at the end of a question acts as a contraction of 「なんて言ったの？」 (What did you say?). It is used when you didn't hear someone or are surprised by what they said.

  • Example: 今、何って？ (What did you [just] say?)

5. Emphasis / Reiteration
It can be used at the end of a sentence to add emphasis to one's own statement, often when the speaker is annoyed or feels they are repeating themselves.

  • Example: 分かってるって！ (I told you, I know!)

Examples (4)

  1. 明日は雨だって。

    I heard it’s going to rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow (topic) rain is (quote).

    Here, って acts as hearsay. Because 'rain' (雨) is a noun, だ is required before って.

  2. 「行かない」って言ったでしょ？

    I said 'I'm not going,' didn't I?

    Word by Word: 'Not go' (quote) said, right?

    This is a standard casual quotation replacing the particle と.

  3. 納豆って何？

    What is (this thing called) natto?

    Word by Word: Natto (topic) what?

    In this case, って replaces the topic marker は to define or ask about a specific subject.

  4. 田中さんって人は優しいね。

    The person called Tanaka is kind, isn't he?

    Word by Word: Tanaka-san (called) person (topic) kind, right?

    Here, って is a contraction of という (called/named).

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting 'da' with nouns for hearsay.

    休みって聞いた。
    休みだって聞いた。

    When using って to mean 'I heard that...' with a noun or na-adjective, you must include the casual copula だ. Without it, the sentence might be misinterpreted as 'Speaking of the holiday...'

  • Using って in formal situations.

    先生、明日雨だって言いました。
    先生、明日は雨だと言っていました。

    Even if you use polite verb endings like 〜ました, using って in the middle of the sentence sounds too casual for a teacher or boss. Use と instead.

How It Connects

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って（引用）Level 2Casual Quotation

Learn This First

The casual quotation marker 'って' is a colloquial contraction of the particle 'と' followed by verbs of speaking or thinking (like 言う or 思う). To understand it, you must first be familiar with the standard quotation particle 'と' and the basic structure for reporting speech. Additionally, because it is strictly informal, knowledge of Japanese politeness levels is necessary to know when it is appropriate to use.

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