Observation: hearsay

んだって

い-Adj

な-Adj + な

N + な

+ んだって・んですって

Used to quote something that you heard in a casual conversation. Similar in the quotation sense to Description#って・って言う・と言う, but here the nuance is that the information is new or unexpected.

[!info] Example ワールドカップでアルゼンチンが{勝|か}した==んだって==! Argentina won the world cup! (you just saw it on TV but you were doing something else and are surprised)

と聞いた

Used for something you heard by someone identifiable: for example, you were told by someone. Mostly used formally.

[!info] Example 彼はバカ==と聞いた==。 They say he's an idiot (I've heard that he's an idiot).

と言われている

Used when you heard something, but not from someone specifically identifiable: general knowledge, a rumour, etc. For nouns, だ is placed before. Mostly used formally.

[!info] Example このレストランのカレーはおいしいだ==と言われています==。 They say the curry of this restaurant is good.

そうだ

V (casual)

い-Adj

な-Adj + だ

N + だ

+ そうだ

Means "I heard that". Do not confuse with Observation - looking like#そうだ (no stem modification). It is casual.

[!info] Examples テストは{難|むず}しいだ==そうだ==。 The exam is said to be difficult.

ということだ

It is used for hearsay. Has a nuance of being sure of the validity. Can also be used for a meaning close to "this means". More formal than そうだ. Can be used as ==ということだ== or ==とのことだ==. A more casual version is ==ってことだ==.

[!info] Examples {専門家|せん|もん|か}によると、{今年|ことし}の{夏|なつ}は{最高|さいこう}{暑|あつ}くなる==ということです==。 According to the experts, this summer will be the hottest ever.

Summing up

==んだって== used for quotation, similar to って, when the information is new.
==と聞いた== is used for something you heard from an identifiable speaker. Is mostly formal.
==と言われている== is used for something for something you heard from an unspecified speaker. Is mostly formal.
==そうだ== is used for hearsay and is casual.
==ということだ== is used for hearsay, when the validity of the information is certain. More formal than そうだ.

によると・によれば

Means "according to". Used with nouns. With verbs, ところ is added before.

[!info] Examples {天気予報|てんきよほう}==によると=={今日|きょう}は{雪|ゆき}が{降|ふ}るようだ。 According to the weather forecast, it's supposed to snow today.

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