JLPT N3 reference · Discourse organization
Quoted thought and speech
Japanese often preserves the quoted speaker’s viewpoint, while indirect questions use か or かどうか.
Core meaning and form
Place a plain-form quotation before と and a reporting verb such as 言う, 思う, 聞く, or 書く. Tense and reference are not mechanically backshifted as in some English reported-speech patterns.
- Form: Place a plain-form quotation before と and a reporting verb such as 言う, 思う, 聞く, or 書く.
- Core use: Japanese often preserves the quoted speaker’s viewpoint, while indirect questions use か or かどうか.
- Context: Tense and reference are not mechanically backshifted as in some English reported-speech patterns.
Examples in context
田中さんは明日来ると言いました。Tanaka-san wa ashita kuru to iimashita.Mr Tanaka said that he would come tomorrow.
この方法がいいと思います。Kono hōhō ga ii to omoimasu.I think this method is good.
彼が来るかどうか分かりません。Kare ga kuru ka dō ka wakarimasen.I do not know whether he will come.
Common errors
- Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
- Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.
Quick summary
- Place a plain-form quotation before と and a reporting verb such as 言う, 思う, 聞く, or 書く.
- Japanese often preserves the quoted speaker’s viewpoint, while indirect questions use か or かどうか.
- Tense and reference are not mechanically backshifted as in some English reported-speech patterns.