Reported Information: 〜ということだ / 〜とのことだ

Learn how to report information you heard, read, or received from another source in a natural N3 register.

Understand how 〜ということだ and 〜とのことだ relay reported information.Recognize the difference between neutral spoken reporting and more formal notice-like reporting.Read sentences where the speaker is passing along information rather than stating direct knowledge.

Guided study

Core meaning

Use these patterns when you are passing along information from another source. In English, the meaning is often “I heard that …”, “it says that …”, or “according to the report …”. The speaker is not presenting the statement as direct personal knowledge.

天気予報によると、明日は雪になるということだ。

According to the weather forecast, it will snow tomorrow.

The information comes from a source, not from the speaker's direct observation.

部長は少し遅れるとのことです。

I heard that the department manager will be a little late.

とのことだ is common in announcements, messages, and polite relaying of information.

Practice guides for this lesson

Use these hub pages to connect this lesson with related reading practice and grammar paths.

Reported Information: 〜ということだ / 〜とのことだ

Core meaning

Practice guides for this lesson

N3 Japanese grammar lessons

Japanese grammar practice

Japanese grammar lessons