✉️📄❌

How to Say ‘I got a letter saying a document is missing.’ in Japanese

書類が足りないと手紙が来ました。

shorui ga tari nai to tegami ga ki mashi ta

[SHOH-roo-ee ga tah-REE nai toh teh-GAH-mee ga kee mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: The と after 足りない works like quotation marks, reporting what the letter said. Put any statement before it the same way, as in 明日来ると言いました "he said he'd come tomorrow".

Phrase Breakdown

書類が足りないと

shorui ga tari nai to

that the documents are insufficient

Here と works like a quote marker, meaning 'saying that'. It reports what the letter said.

Example

時間が足りないと言われました。

I was told there isn't enough time.

Words in this phrase

書類

shorui

[SHOH-roo-ee]

documents; papers

Official paperwork or forms, often required for applications.

Example

書類を出しました。

I submitted the documents.

が

[ga]

subject marker

A particle marking the subject of the sentence.

Example

興味がある分野を教えてください。

Please tell me the field you are interested in.

足り

tari

[tah-REE]

be enough; suffice

Stem of 足りる; with a negative it means something is missing or insufficient.

Example

お金が足りません。

I don't have enough money.

ない

nai

[nai]

not

Indicates negation or absence.

Example

問題はない。

There is no problem.

と

[toh]

(quotation marker)

Particle that marks what was said or written, like quotation marks.

Example

彼は「はい」と言いました。

He said "yes."

手紙が来ました。

tegami ga ki mashi ta

a letter came

This is the main action: a letter arrived. Use the polite past tense ました.

Example

市役所から手紙が来ました。

A letter came from city hall.

Words in this phrase

手紙

tegami

[teh-GAH-mee]

letter

A written message sent by mail.

Example

入管から手紙が届きました。

A letter arrived from immigration.

が

[ga]

subject marker

A particle marking the subject of the sentence.

Example

興味がある分野を教えてください。

Please tell me the field you are interested in.

来

[kee]

come

From 来る, meaning 'to come.' Used when thanking someone for attending.

Example

会場に来てくれてありがとう。

Thank you for coming to the venue.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

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