Meaning
Used for direct and indirect quotation and also to give a name or title.
Formation
- Direct speech goes in 「」 and closes with と
- Reported speech: plain form + と; nouns and na-adjectives take だ: 休みだと言いました
When to use it
- Core use
- Say, be called
Example
田中さんは「また明日」と言いました
Tanaka said, “See you tomorrow.”
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.