って

[Tomii515]

皆さんこんにちは!お元気ですか?

OK. So, I have a questing about って.

So, I was talking to my Japanese friend, and I asked her if she could explain って to me. So, she tried to... But she gave upm and said she didn't know how to explain it in English. So, I did some research and the site I looked for it on said:

って is the informal form of と言うのは. So, I tried making a sentence knowing that...

僕は「こんにちは」と言うのが好きです。
僕は「こんにちは」って好き。
I like saying "konnichiwa".

Are those sentences correct? If so, then I understand that. But, I remember seeing って at the beginning of sentences, and I thought to myself "How can that be?"

So, if there are any other definitions for って that I should know, it would be nice if you could tell me.

Well, thanks to anyone who helps!!

どうもありがとうございます!

~トミー君

 

[tanhql]

って can also mean と or と言う. when って is used instead of と言う, tenses and conjugations are dropped (please correct me if i'm wrong on this one).

彼女は「１０時までに帰って来る」って。でも、もう１２時だが、まだ帰って来ない。
she said 'i'll be back by 10'. but it's already 12, and she still has not return.

佐藤さんは「彼女のうちに行った事がある」って聞いた。
遠藤さんは「ある訳ないだろう」って答えた。
satou asked 'have you been to her house before?'
endou answered 'there's no way i would have gone to her house, right?'

also, you mention って in the front of sentence. this function as と言うのは, which quotes whatever is said before.

A: 財布が盗まれちゃった!
B:って(事は)、今お金がない訳か?
A: damn it, my wallet has been stolen!
B: (since your wallet has been stolen), i assume you have no money now?

今回の休みは海外に旅行しない。ってか、お金が足りないから、出来ない。
i'm not going overseas for my holidays this time. or rather, i cannot go as i don't have enough money.
(と言うか = or rather)

more information:
Defining and Describing Things - Tae Kim's Japanese grammar guide
Making and performing actions on quotations - Tae Kim's Japanese grammar guide

 

[Tomii515]

Ohh, ok! It's kinda hard to understand, but I guess I understand! Thanks~!

 

[Elizabeth]

って can also mean と or と言う. when って is used instead of と言う, tenses and conjugations are dropped (please correct me if i'm wrong on this one).

I thought it lost the tenses when って was used instead of （だ）と（いった。。。）. Such as the examples in the second link.


When it stands in colloquially for とは、という、という（のは） (usually all kana) those という aren't verbs and don't conjugate anyway.


But the one overlooking something obvious I'm sure is me. I don't pretend to speak halfway casual Japanese or use it enough (apparently) for quoting what someone has said.