～と (3) (quotation / sound / manner)

Japanese Grammar Basic Japanese ★★★★★ 5/5 neutral とto
Reading と
Romaji to
Formation Sentence (plain form) + と + 言う / 思う / 聞く / Onomatopoeia + と + Verb / Adverb + と + Verb

Meaning

A particle that marks quotations, thoughts, sounds, or the manner in which something is done. It connects what someone said, thought, or how something appeared to a following verb.

The quotative と has multiple related functions. For direct and indirect speech, it marks the quoted content before verbs like 言う, 思う, or 聞く. For onomatopoeia, it connects sound words to verbs: ドアがバタンと閉まった (The door slammed shut with a bang). For manner, it describes how an action is performed: じっと見つめた (stared fixedly). Unlike って, which is casual, と is neutral to formal. In complex sentences, と思う (I think that) and と言う (say that) are among the most frequent constructions in Japanese. The particle is also used with naming: 田中と申します (My name is Tanaka).

Examples

  1. 友達は明日来ると言っていた。 My friend said they would come tomorrow.
  2. この映画は面白いと思います。 I think this movie is interesting.
  3. 猫がニャーと鳴いた。 The cat meowed.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

  • 先生は試験が来週あると言いました。
  • 日本に行きたいと思っています。
  • 雨がザーザーと降っている。
  • 私は田中と申します。

Don't Say

  • 友達は明日来ますと言っていた。(Quoted content before と should be in plain form, not polite form, in indirect speech) → 友達は明日来ると言っていた。
  • この映画は面白いだと思う。(い-adjectives connect directly to と — do not insert だ) → この映画は面白いと思う。
  • 猫がニャーで鳴いた。(Onomatopoeia requires と, not で, before the verb) → 猫がニャーと鳴いた。

Origin & History

The quotative と is one of the oldest particles in Japanese, attested in the earliest texts such as the Kojiki and Man'yōshū. It originally marked the content of speech and expanded to cover thought, sound, and manner.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

～やはり / やっぱり (as expected) An adverb indicating that a situation or outcome conforms to the speaker's prior expectation, assumption, or general knowledge. It translates as 'as expected,' 'after all,' or 'sure enough.' ～とか (~ and ~, things like ~) A conjunction used to list two or more items, actions, or states as inexhaustive examples. It is more casual than や and implies the speaker is giving a rough, non-exhaustive enumeration. ～など (such as ~, things like ~) A particle that presents one or more items as examples from a larger set, implying that the list is not exhaustive. It translates as 'such as,' 'things like,' or 'and so on.' ～のに (2) (for the purpose of ~) Expresses the purpose, process, or requirement for doing something. The の nominalises the preceding verb, and に marks it as the purpose or context for the main clause. ～ように (1) (so that ~) Expresses the purpose or goal behind an action, often with the nuance that the speaker acts in a way to bring about a desired result or to avoid an undesired one. ～ように (2) (like ~, as if ~) An adverbial form of ようだ, used to describe the manner in which an action is performed by comparing it to something else. It means 'like,' 'as,' or 'as if.' ～ようにする (make sure to ~) Expresses a deliberate effort to bring about a behavioural or circumstantial change. The speaker consciously tries to establish a new habit or ensure a certain outcome. ～ようになる (come to ~) Expresses a gradual change in state, ability, or habitual action. It indicates that something which was not previously the case has come to be so over time.
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