Meaning
Marks a quotation, thought, or report.
Formation
- Direct speech goes in 「」 and closes with と: 「行きます」と言いました
- Thought or reported speech: plain form + と + 思う / 言う
- Nouns and na-adjectives take だ: 雨だと思います
When to use it
- Core use
- Marks a quotation, thought, or report
Example
田中さんは「行きます」と言いました
Mr. Tanaka said, “I will go.”
Important notes
- Word forms and particle choice depend on the pattern's role in the sentence.
Common mistakes
- Do not reorder or reshape the highlighted parts to match English word order.