JLPT N0・N2 Grammar – Difference between “〜とか” and “〜とやら”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “〜とか” and “〜とやら”
2. 〜とか
3. 〜とやら
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similer Articles
8. Comment
Q: Can “〜とか” and “〜とやら” be used interchangeably?
A: Both are expressions used to quote something heard from others, but they are used differently depending on how clearly the speaker understands the information.
〜とか (JLPT N2)
[Meaning]
An expression used to quote unclear or uncertain information, such as something heard or rumored
[Rule]
[V] Verb plain form + とか
[A] い adjective plain form + とか
[Na] な adjective + だ + とか
[N] Noun + だ + とか
[Examples]
あれ、雨が降ってきた。そういえば天気予報で雨が降るとか言ってたな。
Oh, it’s starting to rain. Come to think of it, I heard on the weather forecast that it might rain.
きのうのパーティはとても楽しかったとか。良かったですね。
I heard yesterday’s party was really fun. That’s great.
明日の会議はとても長いとか聞きましたよ。がんばってください。
I heard tomorrow’s meeting will be very long. Good luck!
ラジオで大阪のほうは大雨だったとか言ってましたけど大丈夫でしたか。
The radio said there was heavy rain in Osaka. Were you okay?
*Verbs like “言う” (say) or “聞く” (hear) are often omitted at the end of the sentence.
〜とやら (JLPT N0)
[Meaning]
An expression used to vaguely quote information when the name or content is unclear. It is used when the speaker does not remember the information well or does not really know it
[Rule]
[V] Verb plain form + とやら
[N] Noun + とやら
[Examples]
あれ、花子がいないな。あ、そういえばさっきどこかに行くとやら行ってたな。
Hanako’s not here. Oh right, she said something about going somewhere earlier.
A:「たかし、友達がうちに来たよ。」
B：「え、友達？だれ？」
A：「えーっと、山本とやら言ってたかな。」
A: “Takashi, your friend came to the house.”
B: “Huh? My friend? Who?”
A: “Umm… I think he said his name was Yamamoto or something like that.”
Let’s Compare
Let’s take a look at the differences between “と,” “とか,” and “とやら,”
all of which are used to quote information in Japanese.
木村よう子という人が来ました。
木村よう子とかいう人が来ました。
木村よう子とやらいう人が来ました。
Among these three, “と” shows that the speaker remembers the person clearly.
“とか” suggests the speaker is somewhat unsure,
and “とやら” gives the most uncertain and vague impression.
[〜とか]
The expression “〜とか” is used when the speaker is unsure about the information they heard,
or when they want to avoid stating it too firmly.
It is softer and more vague than other hearsay expressions like “〜そうだ” or “〜という.”
[Example]
あれ、社長がいない。あ、そういえば今週は東京に出張とか言ってたな。
The company president isn’t here. Oh right, I think I heard something about him going on a business trip to Tokyo this week.
⇒ The speaker does not clearly remember what the president said, and is conveying the information vaguely.
[〜とやら]
The expression “〜とやら” combines the quotation particle “と” with “やら,”
which suggests uncertainty or lack of clarity.
Among the three expressions, “とやら” is the most unclear and vague.
It strongly indicates that the speaker doesn’t really remember or doesn’t know the information well.
Also, “〜とやら” sounds somewhat old-fashioned and is not often used by younger generations.
[Example]
A：どうしたんですか。
B：さっき山本さんによくわからないことを言われて。‘りーすけ’とやら言ってたんだよ。誰だろう。
A：りーすけ．．．それってきっとリスケジュールのことですよ。人の名前じゃないですよ。
A: What happened?
B: Yamamoto-san said something I didn’t really understand earlier. He mentioned something like “Rīsuke” or whatever. I wonder who that is.
A: “Rīsuke”… Oh, that must be “reschedule.” It’s not a person’s name.
Summary
- “〜とか” and “〜とやら” are used when the speaker quotes something they heard or learned in an unclear or vague way.
- Among the two, “〜とやら” expresses a higher degree of uncertainty than “〜とか,” showing that the speaker’s memory or understanding is even more unclear.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. とか
今日は傘を持って行ったほうがいいよ。天気予報で雨が降るとか言ってたから！
You should take an umbrella today. I heard on the weather forecast that it might rain.
*Since the context isn’t very vague, “とか” is appropriate here.
A. とやら
祖父：太郎、えーっと。きたは．．．とやらいう友達がきたよ。
太郎：え、きたは？あ、きっと北花田くんだよ。
Grandfather: Taro, um… someone named Kitaha… or something like that came to see you.
Taro: Huh? Kitaha? Oh, you must mean Kitahanada-kun.
*The speaker doesn’t clearly remember the name, so “とやら” sounds natural in this case.
A. とやら
田中：最近のカタカナの英語は難しいですね。会議のリストをアッジェ．．．アジュ．．．
ンタとやら言うんでしょ。
北村:ちがいますよ。それは「アジェンダ」って言うんです。
Tanaka: Katakana English is hard to understand these days. That meeting list is called… “ajje… aju…nta” or something, right?
Kitamura: No, that’s not it. It’s called “agenda.”
*The speaker can’t recall the exact word and isn’t sure of its meaning, so “とやら” is appropriate.
A. とか
あ、山田さん。来年から東京で働くとか。東京でも頑張ってくださいね。
Oh, Yamada-san. I heard you’re going to start working in Tokyo next year. Best of luck there!
*This is second-hand information, but not particularly vague, so “とか” fits well.
Similer Articles
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