って

See also: つて

Japanese

Etymology

Contracted from とて, itself a compound of quotative particle と (to) and conjunctive particle て (te).[1][2]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [t̚te̞]
    Can be used with a rising intonation to indicate a question.[3]

Particle

って (rōmaji tte)

  1. he/she/I/they/we said: a type of verbal quotation mark used for direct and indirect quotes, also similar to that when used as a coordinating conjunction
    すぐ来 (き)ますって。
    Sugu kimasu tte.
    He said he'd come soon. / He said that he'd come soon.
    お母 (かあ)さんに聞 (き)いたら、だめだって。
    Okāsan ni kiitara, dame da tte.
    When I asked my mom, she said no.
  2. used to emphasize a word
    アラビア語 (ご)って、難 (むずか)しくない？
    Arabiago tte, muzukashikunai?
    Arabic, you say? Isn't that difficult?
    これって何 (なん)て名前 (なまえ)？
    Kore tte nante namae?
    What is this called?

Usage notes

The particle is often contracted to て after an ん sound:[3]

彼 (かれ)が行 (い)かんて言 (い)うんだよ。
Kare ga ikan te iu n da yo.
She says (that) he's not coming!

See also

References
  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
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