Japanese with Manga

Call me Teacher with と呼べ

Grammar Explanation: Quoting and reporting with と and って

Manga panel from からかい上手の高木さん showing example of Call me Teacher with と呼べ.
からかい上手の高木さん » Volume 15 » Page 66

Sanae’s teacher, Mr. Tanabe, has proposed to her older sister, who is also a teacher at the school.

「次(つぎ)の日(ひ)。」
“The following day.”
サナエ:
「おはよーございます、ニーサン。」
“Good morning, Big Brother.”
田辺(たなべ):
「学校(がっこう)では先生(せんせい)と呼(よ)べ、月本(つきもと)…」
“Call me 'Teacher' at school, Tsukimoto.”
Literal: “At school, call me Teacher, Tsukimoto...”

Key Points

1先生(せんせい)と呼(よ)べ = call me “Teacher”
  • Here と marks the title being quoted: 先生(せんせい) is what Tanabe says Sanae should call him.
  • 呼(よ)ぶ means “to call someone”; with と, it works like “call someone X”.
2The command form 呼(よ)べ
  • 呼(よ)べ is the plain imperative of 呼(よ)ぶ.
3学校(がっこう)では limits the rule to school
  • 学校(がっこう)では means “at school” and sets the context for the command.
  • The は adds contrast: whatever she calls him elsewhere, at school he wants the proper title 先生(せんせい).

Vocabulary

(School)

学校(がっこう) means a school, where teachers provide organized instruction to students.

(Teacher)

先生(せんせい) is a respectful title for teachers and certain professionals, including doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Speakers do not normally use it for themselves.

See Also

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