What does it mean word for word?
The word 言った (itta) is the past tense of the verb 言う (iu), which means "to say".
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the level of politeness and the specific nuance of the reporting. 誰かが言った is the plain/dictionary form, while 誰かが言いました is the polite version. To indicate that someone was in the middle of saying something or that information was being circulated, you can use the continuous form 誰かが言っていました.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on your relationship with the listener and the person being discussed. The plain form 誰かが言った is used in casual speech or written narratives. For most social situations, the polite 誰かが言いました or と言いました is appropriate. If you are speaking about someone of higher status, use the respectful and formal expression と仰いました. In very casual everyday speech among friends, family or colleagues, you might use the informal って言ってた.
How do you pronounce it?
dareka ga itta
Did you know?
- To report hearsay without identifying a source, Japanese often avoids starting with 'someone said' and instead attaches the auxiliary verb そうだ to the end of the sentence.
- In Japanese, the verb 言う is used for non-verbal communication, such as when a person's eyes or a facial expression 'say' something to an observer.
- When the context makes it obvious that 'someone' mentioned the information, Japanese speakers will omit the subject 誰かが (dareka ga) entirely. The sentence often begins directly with the information or the quotation marker.
Examples in context
- 彼女は今日忙しいと言いました。She said she's busy today.
- 上司は会議に遅れると仰いました。The boss said he would be late for the meeting.
- 昨日のパーティーは楽しかったって言ってたよ。She said yesterday's party was fun.
- 明日は山田さんが来るって言ってたんだ！Someone said that Yamada will come tomorrow!
- 誰かが言ったことが本当なら驚きだ。Dareka ga itta koto ga hontou nara odoroki da.If what someone said is true, it is a surprise.
- 誰かが言ったらしいけれど、よく知らない。Dareka ga itta rashii keredo, yoku shiranai.It seems someone said something, but I don't know well.
Example conversation
Youta and Himari are talking about a party.
- 陽太 Yota金曜日にパーティーがあるって、誰かが言ったよ。kinyoubi ni paatii ga aru tte, dareka ga itta yo.Someone said there's a party on Friday.
- 陽葵 Himari本当？誰が言ったの？hontou? dare ga itta no?Really? Who said that?
- 陽太 Yotaうーん、思い出せないけど、誰かが言ったんだ。uun, omoidasenai kedo, dareka ga ittan da.Hmm, I can't remember, but someone said it.
- 陽葵 Himariまあ、とりあえず楽しみにしておくね。maa, toriaezu tanoshimi ni shite oku ne.Well, I'll look forward to it for now.
