N4 · Linking clauses
Saying and thinking: と and って
quotation with と and って
と marks what was said or thought; the quoted clause keeps its own tense and, if indirect, the plain form.
The particle と marks a quotation, and the verb of saying or thinking follows it. A direct quotation goes in Japanese quotation marks and keeps the words exactly: 田中さんは「明日来ます」と言いました. An indirect one drops the marks and uses the plain form: 田中さんは明日来ると言いました.
There is no backshift of tense. English turns "I will come" into "he said he would come"; Japanese keeps the tense from the moment of speaking, so it stays 来る. What was present for the speaker stays present in the report.
と思う gives an opinion or a guess: 明日は雨だと思います, "I think it will rain tomorrow". After a noun or na-adjective, the だ is required — 雨だと, 便利だと — and leaving it out is the most frequent mistake in this pattern. と思います is for the speaker; for someone else, Japanese says と思っています or reports it as hearsay.
In casual speech って replaces と, and often the verb as well: 明日来るって is "he says he's coming tomorrow". という names or describes something: 「さくら」という店, "a shop called Sakura".
The form
| direct: He said, "I'll come tomorrow." | 彼は「明日来ます」と言いました。 |
| indirect: He said he would come tomorrow. | 彼は明日来ると言いました。 |
| I think it will rain. (noun + だ) | 雨だと思います。 |
| I think it is convenient. (na-adjective + だ) | 便利だと思います。 |
| I think it is interesting. (i-adjective) | 面白いと思います。 |
| casual: he says he's coming | 来るって |
| a shop called Sakura | 「さくら」という店 |
The rules one by one
と follows the quotation, and the verb of saying or thinking comes after it.
母は「気をつけてね」と言いました。My mother said, "Take care."
An indirect quotation is in the plain form and keeps the tense of the original words.
山田さんは今日は忙しいと言っていました。Ms Yamada said she was busy today.
After a noun or na-adjective, と needs だ in front of it.
この町は静かだと思います。I think this town is quiet.
To say you do not think something, negate the inner clause rather than おもう.
明日は雨が降らないと思います。I don't think it will rain tomorrow.
In casual speech, って can replace と.
彼女、今日は来ないって。She says she's not coming today.
A closer look
Why と思います is everywhere
Japanese speakers soften statements of opinion far more than English speakers do, and と思います is the main tool. A meeting full of 〜と思います is not a meeting full of uncertainty; it is a meeting where people are being polite about their views.
The reverse is also true. A plain statement of opinion with no softening — この案はだめです — sounds much more forceful in Japanese than "this idea is no good" does in English. Adding と思います, or the even softer のではないかと思います, is how a disagreement stays friendly.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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you want to say "I don't think…"
Japanese normally negates the thought itself: 降らないと思います, not 降ると思いません.
彼はもう来ないと思います。I don't think he is coming any more.
Negating 思う is possible but sounds like a flat rejection of someone else's claim — "I do not believe that" — rather than an opinion of your own.
How to spot it
- 〜と言う
- 〜と思う
- 〜だと
- 「〜」と
- 〜って
- 〜という
Example sentences
日本語は面白いと思います。I think Japanese is interesting.
先生は明日テストをすると言いました。The teacher said there would be a test tomorrow.
駅の前に新しい店ができたと聞きました。I heard that a new shop has opened in front of the station.
子供は「まだ寝たくない」と言っています。The child is saying, "I don't want to go to bed yet."
あの人は先生だと思います。I think that person is a teacher.
「ありがとう」は英語で何と言いますか。How do you say "arigatou" in English?
7 more example sentences
父は今日遅くなると言っていました。My father said he would be late today.
この映画はとてもいいと思いますよ。I think this film is really good.
彼は「すみません」と小さい声で言いました。He said "sorry" in a small voice.
天気予報では明日は晴れると言っていました。The weather forecast said it would be sunny tomorrow.
「山田」という人から電話がありました。There was a phone call from someone called Yamada.
来週テストがあるって、本当？Is it true there's a test next week?
日本の夏は暑すぎると思いませんか。Don't you think Japanese summers are too hot?
Worth knowing (1)
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と言っていました for passing on a message
When you relay what someone said to the person it concerns, Japanese prefers と言っていました to と言いました. The ている form presents the words as a message still standing — "she was saying…" — rather than as a single past event, which is exactly what passing on a message is.
田中さんがよろしくと言っていました。Mr Tanaka sends his regards.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The clause before と must be a complete plain sentence, and a plain sentence ending in a noun or na-adjective needs だ. 休みと思います sounds like "I think about a holiday" — or nothing at all. An i-adjective or a verb needs no だ, which is why the mistake only shows up with nouns and na-adjectives.
Quote it plain, keep its tense, and put だ after a noun before と.
Your turn
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