How to tell them apart
と is the standard, neutral marker for quoting speech or thought with verbs like 言う and 思う, and it is used in both speech and writing, as in 行きたいと言っている. って is the informal spoken equivalent for quoting speech or thought, as in 行きたいって言っている. The difference is register, so use と for neutral or written quoting and って for casual spoken quoting.
- と Use と to quote speech, thoughts, sounds or manner in neutral speech and writing.
- って Use って to quote speech or thoughts in casual informal conversation.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| と to | Particle for quoting speech or thought, and for sounds or manner | N5 |
| って tte | Informal way of quoting speech or thoughts | N4 |
と to
Particle for quoting speech or thought, and for sounds or manner
The particle と marks quoted speech, thoughts, or sounds before verbs such as 言う, 思う, 聞く, and する. It follows a complete sentence or quoted word in its plain form, as in バナナと言った or おもしろそうだねと言います, and it follows onomatopoeia or manner expressions like ぼーっと in ぼーっとしている. Quoted words keep their original wording and do not need to be changed for politeness. A common mistake is adding extra と after an adverb that already ends in と.
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今日はなんだか、ぼーっとしてるんだ。
My brain doesn't seem to be working well today.
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だが、ビルは「バナナ」と言った。
However, Bill said "banana."
って tte
Informal way of quoting speech or thoughts
って is a casual equivalent of the quotative particle と used to report what someone said, heard, or thought. It follows a clause in plain form, keeping だ after nouns and な-adjectives, as in 来ないって or 雨だって. It is often paired with verbs like 言う, 聞く, and 思う, and can also end a sentence alone to convey hearsay. Because it is informal, avoid it in polite writing or formal speech where と is expected.
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すごく好きだって、言ってたわよ。
He told me that he likes you a lot.
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知らないってどういうこと？！
What do you mean you don't know?!
と and って are JLPT N5–N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.