ようにいう

ようにいう Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Phrase

Essential Meaning: Tell X to do Y / Say X in such a way that Y

Construction: 

• Verb informal nonpast + ようにいう
  • E.g. 話はなすようにいう [Tell X to speak]
  • E.g. 食たべるようにいう [Tell X to eat]

Notes:

• ようにいう (ように言いう in kanji) has two usages:
  • (1) Indirect imperative:
    • ように言いう can be used to convey the concept of “Tell X to do Y“, “X tells Y to do Z“, “X tells me to do Y“, or “Could you tell X to do Y?” Such sentences may involve:
      • (1) Someone other than the speaker making a request or command to a third party (i.e. “X told Y to do Z“)
      • (2) The speaker making a command to someone via a messenger (i.e. “Tell X to do Y“)
      • (3) A second party giving an indirect command to the speaker (i.e. “X told me to do Y“)
    • Indirect imperative sentences must be paired with controllable verbs such as する [To do], 待まつ [To wait], 来くる [To come], and 読よむ [To read] as opposed to non-controllable verbs such as 分わかる [To understand] and 聞きこえる [To be audible]. In other words, the request or demand must be actionable. In the context of an indirect imperative, the 言いう in ように言いう may be replaced by other verbs of communication such as 頼たのむ [To request], 命めいじる [To order],or 求もとめる [To request].
      • E.g. 先生せんせいは学生がくせいに宿題しゅくだいをするように言いった。[The teacher told his students to do their homework.]
      • E.g. 田中たなかさんは山本やまもとさんにすぐ来くるように頼たのんだ。[Tanaka-san asked Yamamoto-san to come immediately.]
    • Indirect imperative sentences can be rephrased as direct imperatives. Keep in mind that when creating a direct imperative quotation, the formality level of the quotation must align with the formality level of the main verb (e.g. a strong, informal command such as 「来こい!」 does not match with a polite request verb has 頼たのむ [To request].
      • E.g. Direct Imperative 田中たなかさんは山本やまもとさんに「すぐきてください」と言いった。[Tanaka-san asked Yamamoto-san: “Come immediately!”]
      • E.g. Indirect Imperative: 田中たなかさんは山本やまもとさんにすぐ来くるように頼たのんだ。[Tanaka-san asked Yamamoto-san to come immediately.]
  • (2) An expression meaning “Say X in such a way that Y“:
    • In this context, the main verb tends to be a potential form verb.
      • E.g. 私わたしは聞きこえるようにはっきり言いった。[I said it in such a way that it was clearly audible.]

Example Sentences:

先生せんせいは学生がくせいに宿題しゅくだいをするように言いった。[The teacher told the students to do their homework.]

坂本さかもとさんはクリスに図書館としょかんの前まえで待まっているように言いった。[Sakamoto-san told Chris to be waiting in front of the library.]

すみませんが、小林こばやしさんに明日あした朝あさ九時くじにここへ来くるように言いってくださいませんか。[I’m sorry, but could you please tell Kobayashi-san to come here at 9 AM tomorrow morning?]

私わたしは聞きこえるようにはっきり言いったんですが。。。[I said it in such a way that it was clearly audible, but…]

WILD Examples:

***YouTube videos may be region-locked depending on your country of origin. If you experience issues, please try using a VPN set to a United States IP address.***