と聞いた
🃏 Flashcard
と聞いた
to kiita
Tap to reveal usage
I heard...
N4
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N4
Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences
Reading
to kiita
Post ID
50793
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
I heard...
📖 How to use it
Expresses hearsay or reported information with 'I heard that...'.
Attaches to
Attaches to the plain form of a verb, adjective, or noun + だ. For nouns and な-adjectives, use だ before と (e.g., 学生だと聞いた).
This pattern is used to report something you heard from someone else. It is a casual way to say 'I heard that...' and is often used in conversation. The verb 聞く is in past tense (聞いた), focusing on the moment you heard the information. It is not used for things you know directly, only for secondhand information.
You can use it with any clause that ends in plain form. For example, with verbs: 行くと聞いた (I heard he will go); with い-adjectives: 安いと聞いた (I heard it's cheap); with nouns and な-adjectives, you need だ: 先生だと聞いた (I heard he's a teacher). The particle と marks what was heard.
この店のラーメンはおいしいと聞いた。
Kono mise no ramen wa oishii to kiita.
I heard that this shop's ramen is delicious.
明日は雨だと聞いた。
Ashita wa ame da to kiita.
I heard that tomorrow it will rain.
彼は来月日本に行くと聞いた。
Kare wa raigetsu Nihon ni iku to kiita.
I heard that he will go to Japan next month.
Not ～そうだ (hearsay)
～そうだ is used for hearsay without specifying the source, and it attaches to the plain form (e.g., 雨が降るそうだ). と聞いた often implies you heard it from a specific person or in a specific context, and it is more conversational.
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This is a casual spoken pattern, appropriate for everyday conversation with friends or acquaintances; in formal writing or speech, ～そうだ or ～ということだ would be more suitable.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
と聞いた
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat と聞いた three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using と聞いた. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N4 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern と聞いた mean?
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I heard...
What JLPT level is と聞いた?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use と聞いた in a sentence?
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Attach と聞いた (to kiita) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is と聞いた formal or casual Japanese?
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と聞いた is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember と聞いた long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.