〜ということだ

Meaning

~ということだ has two main uses: (1) to report information you've heard from someone else, often used with 'によると' or 'では' to indicate the source; (2) to explain, infer, or state a conclusion about a situation, often used with 'つまり' to clarify meaning. In both cases, it presents information as factual or logical.

Formation

Examples

1. 鈴木さんが席にいないなら、外出しているということだ。
   If Suzuki isn't at his desk, that means he's gone out.

2. コーチの話によると、渡辺選手は右肩のけがはもう快復して、来週の大会に出られるということだ。
   According to the coach, Watanabe's right shoulder injury has healed, and it means he can participate in next week's competition.

3. ラジさんから連絡があった。高速道路が渋滞していて、到着が遅れるということだ。
   Raj contacted me. The expressway is congested, which means his arrival will be delayed.

Summary

• Use ということだ to report what you've heard from others or from a specific source
• Use it to express logical conclusions or inferences about a current situation
• The pattern works with all word types: verbs (plain form), i-adjectives, na-adjectives, and nouns