Japanese with Manga
Learning through examples in manga

Told me not to come with と言う

Manga panel from 俺物語!! showing example of Told me not to come with と言う.
俺物語!! » Volume 2 » Page 159

Takeo and Yamato go out on a date for Yamato’s birthday. They have a great time spending the day together, but when Yamato asks Takeo what his friend Sunakawa is doing, Takeo becomes silent. He says Suna helped him plan the date’s events, and Takeo gives her the tickets to the date’s finale. He tells Yamato to take a friend, because he needs to go be with Suna.

猛男(たけお):
砂川(すな)(とう)さんが今日(きょう)手術(しゅじゅつ)なんだ」
“Suna's dad is having surgery today.”
大和(やまと):
「え……」
“Eh......”
猛男(たけお):
区立(くりつ)病院(びょういん)で2()からだ」
“It's at the municipal hospital at 2 o'clock.”
猛男(たけお):
砂川(すな)には()るなと()われたが」
“Suna told me not to come, but...”

Key Points

  1. ()るな = “don’t come”

    • Verb dictionary form + な gives a blunt negative command: ()るな means “don’t come” or “don’t show up.”

    • Takeo is reporting Suna’s instruction, not directly ordering Yamato or anyone else in the scene.

  2. ()われた reports what someone said

    • ()るなと()われた literally means “I was told, ‘Don’t come.’”

    • Because ()われた is passive, the person who received the instruction is Takeo.

  3. 砂川(すな)には marks Suna as the source

    • 砂川(すな)には means “by Suna / from Suna” here: Suna is the one who told Takeo not to come.

    • The adds contrast, setting up Takeo’s conflict between what Suna said and what Takeo still feels he should do.

  4. Final leaves the contrast hanging

    • The line ends with , the “but…” that matches the English translation.

    • Takeo does not finish the next clause aloud here, but the scene implies something like “Suna told me not to come, but I need to go.”