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JLPT N3Expressions

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.

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Pro lessonUNIT 98 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb dictionary form / ない-form] + ように + (言う／頼む／伝える etc.)

Examples · 例文

  • 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.

Usage notes · 注意

  • 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.

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