とか

I heard that… something like, They said ... or something

高橋たかはしくんの彼女かのじょが美人びじんだとか。あんなやつに美人びじんな彼女かのじょができたとは信しんじられないけどな。

I heard that Takahashi's girlfriend is beautiful or something. I can't believe that a guy like that could have a beautiful girlfriend, though.

Explanation

At the end of a sentence it means 'I heard that ...'. You did not confirm it yourself; you picked it up from someone, a rumor or the news, and you are not sure: your memory is hazy, or you have some doubt about whether it is true: 「田中さんは来月転職するとか」 (I hear Tanaka is changing jobs next month); 「明日は大雨になるとか」 (They say it will rain heavily tomorrow, or something). It is looser than 「～そうだ」 and leaves you an escape route. Before 「言う」 it vaguely quotes what someone said: 「先生が明日は休みだとか言っていた」 (The teacher said something like there's no class tomorrow).

Mixed up with

「とか」: the least certain; you're not sure, just mentioning it in passing. 「彼、離婚したとか」 (I heard he got divorced, or something).

「そうだ」: the standard hearsay form, reporting what you heard from a clear source, neutral.

「ということだ」: the most formal written hearsay, common in official papers, editorials and news summaries.

Easily confused withとか・そうだ・ということだ: the difference ›

Examples

あの人ひとは実じつはお金持かねもちだとか。
I heard that person is actually rich or something.
遠藤えんどうさんと近藤こんどうさんが結婚けっこんするとか。意外いがいじゃない？
I heard that Endo-san and Kondo-san are getting married or something. Isn't that surprising?
納豆なっとうは体からだにいいんだとか。
I heard that Natto is good for your body or something like that.
あの大手おおて家電かでんメーカーが開発かいはつした最新さいしんのスマホはたくさんのブロートウェアがインストールされているせいで動作どうさがものすごく重おもいとか。
I heard the latest smartphone from that major electronics maker runs extremely slowly because of all the preinstalled bloatware, or something like that.
このワンピースは体型たいけいをカバーするとか。
I heard that this dress conceals your physique or something like that.
ＡＫＢ４８という音楽おんがくグループは解散かいさんするとか。
I heard that the music group called AKB48 is going to break up or something like that.
最近さいきんはカラーサングラスが流行はやっているとか。
I heard that color sunglasses are popular recently or something like that.
お母かあさんが朝あさごはんを食たべるのは大事だいじだとか言いっていた。
Mom was saying that eating breakfast is important or something like that.
先生せんせいがテストの問題もんだいは難むずかしくないとか言いってたけど本当ほんとうかな？
The teacher was saying that the test questions weren't hard or something like that, but I wonder if it's true.
鉄分てつぶんが不足ふそくすると無駄むだに落おち込こみやすくなったりするんだとか…。
It's said that if you have an iron deficiency, it's easy for you to get pointlessly depressed or something like that.
社長しゃちょうは年末ねんまつ年始ねんしに温泉おんせん旅行りょこうに行いってらっしゃるとか。
I heard that the company president is going on a hot springs trip over New Years or something like that.
この計画けいかくは絶対ぜったい成功せいこうするとか言いってたけどさ、そんな甘あまくないよね。
He was saying this plan will definitely succeed or something, but it's not that easy, right?
今日きょうは雨あめが降ふるんだとか。だったら、傘かさを持もって行いかないわけにはいかない。
It's going to rain today or something like that. If that's the case, then there's no way I can go without an umbrella.
地球温暖化ちきゅうおんだんかに関かんする問題もんだいは解決かいけつしうるとか…。でも、現状げんじょうは悪わるくなる一方いっぽうである。
It's said that we're able to solve the problems in relation to global warming or something like that... But the real situation is that it just keeps getting worse.
Ａ：「彼かれが昨日きのう、何なんて言いったか覚おぼえてる？」Ｂ：「明日あした、１１時じごろに学校がっこうの前まえで会あおうとか言いってたけど、よく覚おぼえてない。」
A: "Do you remember what he said yesterday?" B: "He said something like 'let's meet in front of the school around 11 tomorrow,' but I don't really remember."

とか

I heard that… something like, They said ... or something

高橋たかはしくんの彼女かのじょが美人びじんだとか。あんなやつに美人びじんな彼女かのじょができたとは信しんじられないけどな。

I heard that Takahashi's girlfriend is beautiful or something. I can't believe that a guy like that could have a beautiful girlfriend, though.

Explanation

Mixed up with

「とか」: the least certain; you're not sure, just mentioning it in passing. 「彼、離婚したとか」 (I heard he got divorced, or something).

「そうだ」: the standard hearsay form, reporting what you heard from a clear source, neutral.

「ということだ」: the most formal written hearsay, common in official papers, editorials and news summaries.

Examples

あの人ひとは実じつはお金持かねもちだとか。
I heard that person is actually rich or something.
遠藤えんどうさんと近藤こんどうさんが結婚けっこんするとか。意外いがいじゃない？
I heard that Endo-san and Kondo-san are getting married or something. Isn't that surprising?
納豆なっとうは体からだにいいんだとか。
I heard that Natto is good for your body or something like that.
あの大手おおて家電かでんメーカーが開発かいはつした最新さいしんのスマホはたくさんのブロートウェアがインストールされているせいで動作どうさがものすごく重おもいとか。
I heard the latest smartphone from that major electronics maker runs extremely slowly because of all the preinstalled bloatware, or something like that.
このワンピースは体型たいけいをカバーするとか。
I heard that this dress conceals your physique or something like that.
ＡＫＢ４８という音楽おんがくグループは解散かいさんするとか。
I heard that the music group called AKB48 is going to break up or something like that.
最近さいきんはカラーサングラスが流行はやっているとか。
I heard that color sunglasses are popular recently or something like that.
お母かあさんが朝あさごはんを食たべるのは大事だいじだとか言いっていた。
Mom was saying that eating breakfast is important or something like that.
先生せんせいがテストの問題もんだいは難むずかしくないとか言いってたけど本当ほんとうかな？
The teacher was saying that the test questions weren't hard or something like that, but I wonder if it's true.
鉄分てつぶんが不足ふそくすると無駄むだに落おち込こみやすくなったりするんだとか…。
It's said that if you have an iron deficiency, it's easy for you to get pointlessly depressed or something like that.
社長しゃちょうは年末ねんまつ年始ねんしに温泉おんせん旅行りょこうに行いってらっしゃるとか。
I heard that the company president is going on a hot springs trip over New Years or something like that.
この計画けいかくは絶対ぜったい成功せいこうするとか言いってたけどさ、そんな甘あまくないよね。
He was saying this plan will definitely succeed or something, but it's not that easy, right?
今日きょうは雨あめが降ふるんだとか。だったら、傘かさを持もって行いかないわけにはいかない。
It's going to rain today or something like that. If that's the case, then there's no way I can go without an umbrella.
地球温暖化ちきゅうおんだんかに関かんする問題もんだいは解決かいけつしうるとか…。でも、現状げんじょうは悪わるくなる一方いっぽうである。
It's said that we're able to solve the problems in relation to global warming or something like that... But the real situation is that it just keeps getting worse.
Ａ：「彼かれが昨日きのう、何なんて言いったか覚おぼえてる？」Ｂ：「明日あした、１１時じごろに学校がっこうの前まえで会あおうとか言いってたけど、よく覚おぼえてない。」
A: "Do you remember what he said yesterday?" B: "He said something like 'let's meet in front of the school around 11 tomorrow,' but I don't really remember."

とか

Explanation

Mixed up with

Examples

とか

Explanation

Mixed up with

Examples

Tested once in past papers