Page 337 - Basic Japanese

Manējā kara kikimashita.

I heard it from the manager.

音楽をききました。

Ongaku o kikimashita.

I listened to music.

お巡りさんにききました。

Omawari-san ni kikimashita.
I asked the police officer.

原さんにききました。

Hara-san ni kikimashita.
I heard from Miss Hara.

The plain copula da is usually omitted before ka. If you

are quoting a question like shihainin desu ka ‘is it the
manager,’ which includes the polite copula, instead of

replacing desu with the plain form da, you usually omit the

copula altogether: Shihainin ka to kikimashita ‘He asked if it was
the manager.’ If an adjective is used, of course, you just put

it in the plain form.

建築家です。/建築家だと言いました。
Kenchikuka desu. / Kenchikuka da to iimashita.

He is an architect. / He said that he is an
architect.

建築家ですか。/建築家かと聞きました。

Kenchikuka desu ka. / Kenchikuka ka to kikimashita.