ように(言う／頼む) — Relaying an Instruction
Used to report or relay a request, order, warning, or instruction indirectly. Instead of quoting someone's exact words, you use the dictionary or negative plain form + ように followed by a verb of speaking such as 言う (tell), 頼む (ask), 伝える (convey), or 注意する (warn). It captures the sense of English 'tell someone to do' or 'ask someone to do' something.
Structure
[Verb dictionary form / ない-form] + ように + (言う／頼む／伝える etc.)
Examples
先生は学生に静かにするように言いました。
Sensei wa gakusei ni shizuka ni suru you ni iimashita.
The teacher told the students to be quiet.
静かにする (be quiet) + ように + 言う reports the instruction indirectly.
母に早く帰るように頼まれた。
Haha ni hayaku kaeru you ni tanomareta.
I was asked by my mother to come home early.
帰る + ように + 頼まれた (passive of 頼む) relays the request.
遅れないように伝えてください。
Okurenai you ni tsutaete kudasai.
Please tell them not to be late.
遅れない (negative form) + ように + 伝える conveys a negative instruction.
• Use the plain dictionary form for 'do' and the ない-form for 'don't'. • The verb before ように is almost always non-volitional in feel; you cannot use the volitional (よう) form here. • Common in reported speech and polite indirect requests.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ように(言う／頼む) is tested against.
vs ～てください
てください is a direct request to the listener, while ように言う/頼む reports a request made to a third party (indirect speech).
vs ～ように（する）
ようにする means 'make an effort to do', whereas ように言う/頼む is about telling or asking someone else to do something.
More expressions
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