How to Use ～って in Japanese | Casual “I Heard That” Grammar

level2 (N4)

Introduction

In casual Japanese, when you want to say “I heard that…”, you don’t always need to use ～そうです.
Instead, you can use a more relaxed and commonly spoken pattern:

👉 Short (plain) form + って

This is how Japanese speakers naturally report what they’ve heard — whether it’s news, gossip, or daily conversation.

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern: Short form + って
= “I heard that ~” (casual) / “They say that ~”

To use (short) + って, follow these steps:

  • Change the verb, adjective, or noun to its short form.
  • Add って after the short form.
TypeExample (Positive)Example (Negative)
Verb雨あめが降ふるって。
(They say it’ll rain.)		雨が降らないって。
(They say it won’t rain.)
い-adjectiveこの映画えいが、おもしろいって。
(I heard this movie is interesting.)		この映画、おもしろくないって。
(I heard this movie isn’t interesting.)
な-adjectiveたけしさんは親切しんせつだって。
(I heard Takeshi is kind.)		たけしさんは親切じゃないって。
(I heard Takeshi isn’t kind.)
Noun + だ明日あしたは雨あめだって。
(I heard it’ll rain tomorrow.)		明日は雨じゃないって。
(I heard it won’t rain tomorrow.)

❗ Remember: For な-adjectives and nouns, you need to include だ before って.

  • ✖ Incorrect: 明日は雨って。
  • 〇 Correct: 明日は雨だって。

Note: The short (plain) form is the dictionary form for present affirmative verbs (行く), the ない form for negative verbs (行かない), the dictionary form for present affirmative i-adjectives (高たかい), the ない form for negative i-adjectives (高たかくない), the だ form for present affirmative na-adjectives (きれいだ), the じゃない form for negative na-adjectives (きれいじゃない), and the だ form for present affirmative nouns (学生だ), the じゃない form for negative nouns (学生じゃない). If you need a refresher on plain forms, check out our guide here.

2. Particle Omission in Casual Speech

In highly casual Japanese conversations, you’ll often notice that certain particles are omitted, especially when using patterns like ～って.

Generally, particles such as は (wa), に (ni), and を (o) are very frequently left out. This makes the speech sound more natural and fluid, just like native speakers. For example:

I heard Mary ate dinner.
→メアリー[は]晩御飯ばんごはん[を]食たべたって。
→メアリー 晩御飯 食べたって。

3. When to Use 〜って

Use this pattern when:

  • Talking with friends or family
  • Quoting what someone else said casually
  • Reporting secondhand info in daily speech

It’s often used in place of:

4. Bonus: 〜って as “He / She said…”

Essentially, ～って acts as a casual equivalent of ～と used for quoting or reporting. It can introduce what someone said directly, or simply relay information you’ve heard.

SentenceMeaning
さやさん、「試験しけんが難むずかしい」って言いってた。Saya said the test was hard.
ジョンさん、「来週らいしゅう 沖縄おきなわ 行いく」って。John said he’s going to Okinawa next week.

Casual speech often drops 言いってた, so 〜って alone can carry the meaning.

5. Examples in Real Conversations

  • 先生せんせい、今日きょう 休やすみだって。
    → The teacher’s off today, I heard.
  • メアリー、旅行会社りょこうがいしゃに就職しゅうしょくしたって。
    → I heard Mary got a job at a travel agency.
  • 明日あした、雪ゆきが降ふるって。
    → I heard it’s going to snow tomorrow.
  • この映画えいが、めっちゃおもしろいって。
    → They say this movie is super good.
  • 彼かれは昨日きのうのパーティーに来こなかったって。
    → I heard he didn’t come to the party yesterday.
  • あのレストランの料理りょうり、おいしくないって。
    → I heard the food at that restaurant isn’t good.

6. Compared with 〜そうです

  • ～そうです: Used in more formal settings, written communication, and when relaying objective information like news reports. It implies a more neutral delivery.
  • ～って: Ideal for casual conversations, close friends/family, rumors, or sharing personal opinions. It often has a more informal, almost gossipy feel.

Example: You heard that it will sunny tomorrow.

PatternUseExample
〜そうですPolite or written style明日あしたは晴はれるそうです。
〜ってCasual, spoken style明日は晴れるって。

Use 〜って in conversations, 〜そうです in formal situations or writing.

7. Practice Time!

Turn these into casual “I heard that” sentences using 〜って:

SituationSentence
Ken will come to the office tomorrow.ケンさん、明日あした 会社かいしゃに来くるって。
The test was easy.試験しけんは簡単かんたんだったって。
The apartment is finished.アパートが完成かんせいしたって。
It rained this morning.今朝けさ、雨あめが降ふったって。
Miki is free next week.ミキさんは来週らいしゅうひまだって。

8. Common Mistakes

  • Using polite forms with って
    ❌ Incorrect: 来きますって。／ ケンさんは やさしいですって。
    ✅ Correct: 来くるって。／ ケンさんは やさしいって。
  • Forgetting だ with な-adjectives and nouns
    ❌ Incorrect: しずかって。
    ✅ Correct: しずかだって。

9. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
What’s the main difference between ～って and ～そうです when both mean “I heard that…”?
A

While both convey “I heard that,” their primary difference is formality and tone.

  • ～って: This is highly casual and conversational. It’s used when talking with friends, family, or people you’re close with. It’s perfect for gossip, rumors, or just everyday updates.
  • ～そうです (plain form + そうです): This is neutral to polite. It’s suitable for formal settings, written reports, news, or when relaying information in a more objective or less personal way.
Q
Can ～って be used to quote someone directly, not just for hearsay?
A

Yes, absolutely! ～って is a very common way to quote someone directly in casual conversation, acting as a shortened version of ～と (the quotation particle). You can simply put ～って after what someone said, sometimes followed by 言ってた (itteta – “said”) or just left alone.

  • Example: 田中さん、「来週沖縄行く」って。 (Tanaka-san, “Raishuu Okinawa iku” tte.) – Tanaka said, ‘I am going to Okinawa next week.’
Q
Are there any alternatives to ～って for casual “I heard that…”?
A

While ～って is extremely common, you might also hear:

  • ～ってさ: This adds a slightly softer or more inviting tone, often used when sharing interesting news or gossip.
  • ～ってよ: This can emphasize the information or draw the listener’s attention, sometimes carrying a slight assertive or warning tone (though this usage is more common among male speakers).

Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Use short form + って to say “I heard that ~” casually
✅ Report gossip, news, and conversations like a native
✅ Switch to 〜そうです when you need to be polite

🎯 Try asking a classmate what someone said, and report it using 〜って！

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