彼が言った
kare ga itta
The English phrase "he said" is translated into Japanese as 彼が言った (kare ga itta).
This phrase is used to report a statement made by a male person in the past. If you wish to use the phrase as a noun clause meaning "the thing that he said" or "what he said", you must add こと after the verb, resulting in 彼が言ったこと.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 彼が言った is composed of 彼 (kare, he), the subject marker が (ga) and 言った (itta, the past tense of the verb 'to say').
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the politeness of the phrase by changing the verb ending.
How do you pronounce it?
kare ga itta
Did you know?
- The word 彼 (kare) was not originally used to mean 'he' but was used to refer to a 'lover' or 'boyfriend' in early modern Japanese.
- Depending on the social hierarchy, a speaker might avoid 彼 and instead use the person's family name and a title like さん (san) to say 'he said'.
- While 彼 (kare) means 'he', using it to refer to a specific person can sometimes sound like you are talking about a 'boyfriend' instead of just a male subject.
Examples in context
- 彼が言ったことは本当だ。What he said is true.This sentence uses 彼が言った to show that the content of his speech is true.Tatoeba #120395 by small_snow, translation #283061 by CH
- これが彼が言ったことです。This is what he said.This sentence uses 彼が言った to identify a specific thing he said.Tatoeba #218845 by bunbuku, translation #56160 by CK
- 彼が言ったことは覚えてるよ。I remember what he said.This sentence uses 彼が言った to express remembering his words.Tatoeba #1196572 by bunbuku, translation #283619 by CK
- 彼は言ってた、ピクニックに行きたいって。He was saying that he wants to go on a picnic.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a previous conversation about a plan.
- 大翔 Hiroto計画はもう決まったの？Keikaku wa mou kimatta no?Is the plan already decided?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、彼が言った通りに進めるよ。Un, kare ga itta toori ni susumeru yo.Yeah, I'll proceed as he said.
- 大翔 Hiroto彼が言った内容は大丈夫だった？Kare ga itta naiyou wa daijoubu datta?Was the content of what he said okay?
- 陽葵 Himariええ、とても分かりやすかったわ。Ee, totemo wakariyasukatta wa.Yes, it was very easy to understand.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
