と言う事だ
I heard that, Rumor has it that, It is said that, It means that
Structure
Explanation
Similar to ということ, which turns a clause into a noun in the sense of 'the fact that ~', ということだ adds the auxiliary verb だ (or です) to state that this 'fact' is indeed true. This is commonly translated as 'I hear that' or 'it seems that', but a more literal meaning is 'it is the case that ~'. The final だ provides a high level of certainty, implying the speaker is relaying information they have heard from a reliable source and believe to be true.
You can attach ということだ to the end of a clause to present it as a known piece of information.
- あの店は来月閉店するということだ。Apparently, that shop is closing next month.
- 電気がついている。まだ誰かいると言う事だ。The lights are on. It means that someone is still here.
ということだ is frequently used with phrases that indicate the source of the information, like によると or によれば.
- 天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るということだ。According to the weather forecast, (it's supposed to) rain tomorrow.
- ニュースによれば、事故の原因はまだ不明ということだ。The news is reporting that the cause of the accident is still unknown.
When reporting hearsay or information that cannot be easily verified, とのことだ can be used as an alternative. There is a subtle difference in nuance between the two:
ということだ - It is the case that (A) is ~ (places more emphasis on the information itself).
とのことだ - The word from (A) is that ~ (places more emphasis on the source of the information).
- 来週のイベントは中止ということだ。It means that next week's event is cancelled.
- 来週のイベントは中止とのことだ。I've heard that next week's event is cancelled.
Caution
When relaying information from an outside source, ということだ is generally more formal than そうだ. The main reason is that ということだ is used for information presented as factual, whereas そうだ carries a stronger sense of hearsay or something that might be speculative.
- 山田さんは会社をやめるそうだ。I heard that Yamada-san is quitting the company.
- 山田さんは会社をやめるということだ。It has been reported that Yamada-san is quitting the company.
Examples
納豆は体にとてもいいという事だ。
It is said that natto is very good for your health.
駅の前に新しいパン屋さんができたという事だ。
I heard that a new bakery opened up in front of the station.
天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るという事です。
According to the weather forecast, (it is said that) it will rain tomorrow.
このボタンを押しても動かない。つまり、壊れているという事だ。
It doesn't work even when I press this button. In other words, it means it's broken.
彼は来月会社を辞めるという事だ。
Apparently, he is quitting the company next month.
彼はパーティーに来なかった。つまり、忙しかったという事だ。
He didn't come to the party. That means he was busy.
会議は明後日に延期になったという事です。
I've been told that the meeting has been postponed until the day after tomorrow.
全員が賛成した。これで決定という事ですね。
Everyone agreed. So, that means it's decided, right?
失敗は成功のもと。それも学びという事だ。
Failure is the mother of success. That means it's also a part of learning.
警察の発表では、犯人はまだ捕まっていないという事だ。
According to the police announcement, it is reported that the culprit has not been caught yet.
彼女は僕と話すとき、いつも顔が赤くなる。きっと僕のことが好きという事だ。
Her face always turns red when she talks to me. That must mean she likes me.
反対しているという事ではなく、もう少し時間が欲しいだけです。
It's not that I'm against it; I just want a little more time.