A2 Expression Formal 1 min de lectura

～と聞きました。

2253

I heard that ~.

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use ～と聞きました to politely report information you received from another person or source.

  • Means: 'I heard that...' indicating the source of your information.
  • Used in: Sharing news, confirming details, or referencing someone else's opinion.
  • Don't confuse: Don't use this for things you saw yourself; use it only for hearsay.
👂 (Ear/Listen) + 🗣️ (Speaker) = 💬 (Reported Information)

Explicación a tu nivel:

This phrase means 'I heard that.' You use it to tell people what someone else told you. It is very useful for sharing news.
This is a polite way to report information. By adding 'to kikimashita' at the end of your sentence, you show that you are not the original source of the information, which is very common in Japanese conversation.
This expression serves as a hearsay marker. It is essential for navigating social and professional hierarchies, as it allows the speaker to relay information without asserting personal authority, thereby maintaining a polite distance from the content of the message.
Functioning as an evidential marker, this phrase allows speakers to categorize information as 'reported' rather than 'experienced.' It is a cornerstone of Japanese pragmatic competence, enabling the speaker to manage face-saving strategies in complex social interactions.
This construction exemplifies the Japanese tendency toward indirectness. By utilizing the quotation marker 'to' followed by the verb 'kikimashita,' the speaker effectively externalizes the epistemic responsibility of the proposition, a vital skill for high-level professional communication.
From a cognitive linguistic perspective, this phrase functions as a framing device that shifts the focus from the speaker's internal knowledge state to an external information source. It is deeply embedded in the Japanese cultural preference for 'yojou' (emotional resonance) and 'enryo' (restraint), where direct assertions are often perceived as intrusive.

Significado

Indicating that one has received information from someone else.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Using this phrase helps maintain 'wa' (harmony) by avoiding direct, potentially confrontational statements.

💡

Plain Form

Always remember to use the plain form before 'to'.

💡

Plain Form

Always remember to use the plain form before 'to'.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

明日、パーティーがある＿＿＿聞きました。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: と

The particle 'to' is required for quotations.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Ayudas visuales

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Fill in the blank with the correct form. Fill Blank A2

明日、パーティーがある＿＿＿聞きました。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: と

The particle 'to' is required for quotations.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

No, only for information from others.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

～そうです

similar

I heard that (hearsay)

Dónde usarla

🏢

Office News

A: 部長が戻ると聞きました。

B: はい、そうです。

formal

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Imagine a giant ear (kiku) attached to your mouth, catching rumors from the air (to).

Asociación visual

You are holding a telephone and repeating what you just heard to your boss.

Rhyme

To hear the news, use 'to kikimashita' to avoid the blues.

Story

Kenji told me it would rain. I told my friend, 'Kenji said it will rain.' In Japanese, I say 'Ame ga furu to kikimashita.'

In Other Languages

Similar to 'I heard that' in English or 'On dit que' in French.

Word Web

聞く話す噂情報そうですとのこと

Desafío

Ask three people for news and report it back using this phrase.

Review in 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days.

Pronunciación

Acento Flat pitch accent.

Standard polite verb ending.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
彼が辞めると聞きました。

彼が辞めると聞きました。 (Workplace gossip)

Neutral
彼が辞めると聞きました。

彼が辞めると聞きました。 (Workplace gossip)

Informal
彼が辞めるって聞いたよ。

彼が辞めるって聞いたよ。 (Workplace gossip)

Jerga
彼、辞めるんだってさ。

彼、辞めるんだってさ。 (Workplace gossip)

Derived from the classical verb 'kiku' (to listen/ask) and the particle 'to' which marks the content of the hearing.

Heian:

Dato curioso

The word 'kiku' can also mean 'to be effective' (like medicine).

Notas culturales

Using this phrase helps maintain 'wa' (harmony) by avoiding direct, potentially confrontational statements.

“会議は遅れると聞きました。”

Inicios de conversación

“

最近、何か面白いニュースを聞きましたか？

Errores comunes

✗

私は雨が降ると聞きました (when looking at rain)

✓

雨が降っています

wrong context
You cannot use 'heard' for something you are currently seeing.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

He oído que...

Japanese requires the plain form before the quotation marker.

French Very Similar

J'ai entendu dire que...

Japanese is more concise.

German Very Similar

Ich habe gehört, dass...

Japanese uses a particle 'to' instead of a conjunction.

Chinese Very Similar

我听说...

Chinese does not require a quotation marker like 'to'.

Korean Very Similar

들었어요...

Korean uses different particles for quotation.

Portuguese Very Similar

Ouvi dizer que...

Japanese is more formal in its standard usage.

Arabic Very Similar

سمعت أن...

Arabic does not have the same 'plain form' conjugation constraints.

Japanese n/a

～と聞きました

N/A

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2018)

“彼が卒業すると聞きました。”

Discussing a housemate leaving.

Fácil de confundir

～と聞きました。 vs ～そうです

Learners mix up hearsay vs appearance.

～そうです (hearsay) uses plain form; ～そうです (looks like) uses stem.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

No, only for information from others.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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