Grammar › Requests & Wishes
〜ように言う / 頼む — “tell/ask (someone) to do”
Relaying an instruction: 早く来るように言われた — I was told to come early
Dictionary or negative form + ように + 言う/頼む/伝える reports an instruction, request, or piece of advice given to someone — “told them to X” or “asked them to X.” It's the standard way to relay indirect commands without quoting them word for word.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Dictionary/negative form + ように + 言う/頼む/伝える | 早く来るように言われた — I was told to come early |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先生に、もっと勉強するように言われた。 | せんせいに、もっとべんきょうするようにいわれた。 senseini、mottobenkyousuruyouniiwareta。 | I was told by my teacher to study more. |
| 彼に、明日までに終わらせるように頼んだ。 | かれに、あしたまでにおわらせるようにたのんだ。 kareni、ashitamadeniowaraseruyounitanonda。 | I asked him to finish it by tomorrow. |
| 遅れないように、みんなに伝えてください。 | おくれないように、みんなにつたえてください。 okurenaiyouni、minnanitsutaetekudasai。 | Please tell everyone not to be late. |
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Watch out
This ように reports someone else's instruction, so the verb stays in dictionary/negative form even when the instruction itself was about a past action — don't try to force the verb before ように into past tense.