← Grammar bank

Formation: Plain form + ということだ; N / な-adj usually + だ + ということだ; ということは〜ということだ (X means Y)

This pattern has two main uses. As hearsay, it reports information from another source, often marked with 〜によると or 〜の話では. It sounds more formal and businesslike than 〜そうだ, and the even more formal written version is 〜とのことだ. As a conclusion, often after つまり or ということは, it restates what something amounts to or what a word means. Compare 〜というわけだ, which presents a result or reason that the speaker now sees follows logically, and 〜とかで, which gives a vague, half-remembered reason. Do not confuse it with 〜ことだ, which gives advice.

Variants: ということです、ということだった、とのことだ、ということは

Examples

• 天気予報によると、週末は大雪になるということだ。
  According to the weather forecast, we're due for heavy snow at the weekend.
• 部長は来月から海外に赴任するということです。
  I'm told the department head is being posted overseas from next month.
• 締め切りを過ぎたということは、今回は応募できないということだ。
  Missing the deadline means you can't apply this time.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

No post has used this pattern yet. Examples from real texts will appear here.