『人々は ひとつの予言を信じ それを待っていた』means 『The people believed in a prophecy and waited for it』. It’s a line from Final Fantasy I‘s opening narration, using the stem form of 信じる to link two actions into one flowing sentence.
- 人々は
as for the people - ひとつの予言を信じ
believed in a prophecy and - それを待っていた
waited for it
After lines of pure despair, FF1‘s narration finally offers something else: hope. Let’s look at how that shift is built into the grammar itself.
✅ 1 Japanese Sentence
✅ 9 Japanese Words
✅ +140 EXP
Original Japanese Sentence (Final Fantasy I)
Credit Attribution
- Sentence from Final Fantasy I (© SQUARE ENIX)
- Audio file generated with VOICEVOX:四国めたん
日本語
人々は
ひとつの予言を信じ
それを待っていた
カナ
ひとびと は
ひとつ の よげん を しんじ
それ を まっていた
Romaji
Hitobito wa
hitotsu no yogen o shinji
sore o matte ita
Possible English Translations
Please note: There isn’t just one correct translation. Japanese sentences can often be translated in several natural ways, and more than one translation may be correct.
Natural Translations
- People placed their faith in one prophecy and waited for it.
- Everyone believed in one prophecy and awaited its fulfillment.
- The people believed in a single prophecy and were waiting for it.
Literal Translations
- The people believed in one prophecy and waited for it.
- The people believed in a prophecy and were waiting for it.
- As for the people, they believed in one prophecy and waited.
My Preferred Translation
The people believed in a single prophecy and were waiting for it.
This is my favorite translation because it sounds natural in English while preserving the hopeful feeling of the original Japanese. I especially like using 「a single prophecy」, since 『ひとつの』 emphasizes that everyone is placing their hopes in one particular prophecy rather than many different ones.
Japanese Meaning Explained
Today’s sentence 『人々はひとつの予言を信じ それを待っていた』 is part of the opening narration of Final Fantasy I after the narrator describes how the world has fallen into darkness.
For the first time, there’s a glimmer of hope. Instead of giving up, the people continue to believe that an ancient prophecy will one day come true, giving them hope that the world could still be saved.
『人々』
Meaning: 「people」
『人々（ひとびと）』 means 「people」, referring to people as a group rather than one specific person.
The 「々」 symbol tells you that the previous kanji is repeated, so 『人々』 literally means 「person person」, giving it the meaning of 「people」.
『人々』 is especially common whenever someone talks about society, villagers, citizens, or humanity as a whole.
『は』
Function: Topic Marker 「は Particle」
- 「〇〇は」 means 「As for 〇〇」
- 『人々は』 means 「As for the people」
The particle 『は』 introduces the topic of the sentence. You can think of it as saying, “Let’s talk about …”
Here, it marks 『人々』 as the topic of the sentence, the same way it marks 「この世」 in 「この世は暗黒に包まれている」 and 「大地」 in 「大地は腐ってゆく」.
『は』 appears constantly in Japanese, making it one of the most useful particles you’ll ever learn.
『ひとつ』
Meaning: 「one」
『ひとつ（一つ）』 means 「one」 and is one of the native Japanese ways to count things.
In today’s sentence, 『ひとつ』 combines with 『の』 to become 『ひとつの』, meaning 「one…」 or 「a single…」 before a noun.
You’ll hear 『ひとつ』 all the time in everyday Japanese whenever people count objects, order something, or emphasize that there is only one of something.
『の』
Function: Noun Connector 「の Particle」
- 「AのB」 means 「B of A」, 「A’s B」
- 『ひとつの予言』 means 「one prophecy」
The particle『の』 connects two or more nouns. Sometimes it shows possession, while other times it simply allows one noun to describe another.
In our Final Fantasy 1 sentence, 『の』 connects 『ひとつ』 and 『予言』 to express the idea of one single prophecy.
This possessive/connective 『の』 is everywhere, and you’ll keep seeing it do the same job for the rest of your Japanese life.
『予言』
Meaning: 「prophecy」
『予言（よげん）』 means 「prophecy」, referring to a prediction of the future that foretells events long before they happen and is believed to come true.
Unlike a normal prediction, 『予言』 usually suggests something mystical, legendary, or destined to happen.
You’ll come across 『予言』 frequently in fantasy games, anime, manga, and novels involving chosen heroes, ancient legends, or the fate of the world.
『を』
Function: Object Marker 「を Particle」
- 「〇〇をV」 means 「to (verb) 〇〇」
- 「予言を信じる」 = 「to believe in a prophecy」
- 『それを待っていた』 = 「were waiting for it」
The particle 『を』 marks the direct object of a verb. In other words, it marks the thing the action is performed on.
In this FFI line, it marks 『予言』 as the thing that people believe in.
『を』appears frequently in almost every Japanese conversation whenever someone eats something, watches something, studies something, believes something, or performs almost any action involving an object.
『信じ』
Translation: 「believe and…」
- 「信じる（しんじる）」 means 「to believe」, 「to have faith in」, 「to trust」
- 『信じ』 is the 「Stem Form」 of 「信じる」
『信じ（しんじ）』 translates as 「believe and…」. Because the verb is in its stem form, it connects to the next verb and shows that another action follows.
In today’s line, 『信じ』 connects to 『待っていた』 to express two actions in sequence: 「believed (in the prophecy) and waited (for it)」.
The sentence 「風はやみ」 uses the 「Stem Form」 in the same way, but for a different job. There it creates a smooth literary transition into the next narration line, rather than linking two actions like it does here.
Here, 『信じ』 connects two actions: 「believed」 and 「waited」.
You’ll hear 『信じる』 frequently in both everyday conversations and stories whenever people talk about trusting someone, believing in something, or having faith in themselves.
『それ』
Meaning: 「that」
『それ』 means 「that」, and refers to something that has already been mentioned. When it refers back to something you’ve already mentioned, it’s often translated as 「it」.
Here, 『それ』 refers back to 『ひとつの予言』 instead of repeating the word 「prophecy」 again.
『それ』 is constantly used in everyday conversations whenever speakers refer back to something they already talked about.
『待っていた』
Translation: 「were waiting」
- 「待つ（まつ）」 means 「to wait」, 「to await」
- 『待っていた』 = 「待つ」 ＋ 「〜ている (past tense)」
『待っていた（まっていた）』 translates as 「were waiting」 or 「had been waiting」. It describes an ongoing state in the past rather than a single moment.
The people weren’t waiting for just a few minutes. They had been waiting for the prophecy for a long time.
Whether it’s a train, a friend, or good news, 「待つ」 is one of the first verbs most learners actually use out loud.
Build Japanese Sentences
| Building Blocks | Japanese Sentence |
|---|---|
| Topic (What about?) | 人々は the people |
| Object 1 (Believe what?) | ひとつの予言を one prophecy |
| Verb 1 (What happens?) | 信じ believed and… |
| Object 2 (Wait for what?) | それを it |
| Verb 2 (What happens?) | 待っていた were waiting |
人々はひとつの予言を信じ
それを待っていた
The people believed in a single prophecy and
were waiting for it
Real-Life Usage Examples
Let’s look at a few natural, everyday examples using the words and patterns from today’s sentence.
- 〜を待つ: to wait for something
- 〜を信じる: to believe in or trust something
- 〜ていた: was/were continuing to do something in the past
Example 1
友達を待つ
→ to wait for a friend
Example 2
夢を信じる
→ to believe in a dream
Example 3
奇跡を信じていた
→ was believing in a miracle
Example 4
バスを待っていた。
I was waiting for the bus.
Example 5
友達を信じ、彼を待っていた。
I believed in my friend and waited for him.
How useful is today’s Japanese in real life?
Both 「信じる」 and 「待つ」 are extremely common everyday verbs.
Whether you’re trusting a friend, believing in yourself, waiting for a train, or waiting for someone to arrive, you’ll hear and use these words all the time.
You’ll also encounter 『それ』 constantly, making today’s sentence surprisingly practical despite its fantasy setting.
The 「stem form」 is especially common in written Japanese, such as novels, game dialogue, narrations, newspapers, and formal speeches. In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers prefer the 「〜て」 form instead.
| Word | Frequency Rank |
|---|---|
| の | Top 10 |
| は | Top 10 |
| を | Top 10 |
| それ | ~20 |
| 待つ | ~100 |
| 信じる | ~200 |
| ひとつ | ~500 |
| 人々 | ~900 |
| 予言 | ~7000 |
Beyond the Translation
One little detail I love about this sentence is the use of 『信じ』 instead of 「信じて」.
Japanese often uses the stem form of a verb to connect two closely related actions.
Here, 『信じ』 smoothly links 「believed」 to 「waited」, almost as if to say 「They believed (in …) and waited」.
You could also say 『信じて待っていた』, but that places slightly more emphasis on the sequence of the actions.
Using the stem form makes the narration feel smoother, more literary, and more like something you’d read in a novel or hear in a game’s opening narration.
Use the Sentence Pattern
Pattern to Remember
Connecting Actions
『（〇〇を） V(stem)、 （〇〇を）V』
「(verb) 〇〇 and (verb) 〇〇 」
- 座り、読む → sit down and rest
- 手紙を書き、送った → wrote a letter and sent it
- ドアを開け、部屋を入る → open the door and enter the room
- 音楽を聞き、日本語を勉強していた → listened to music and studied Japanese
① Quick Quiz
What’s the meaning of:
『人々は ひとつの予言を信じ それを待っていた』
A) The people wrote a new prophecy.
B) The people believed the prophecy and waited for it.
C) The people kept waiting for the prophecies to come true.
② Mini Quest
Which sentence means:
「I believed in my friend.」
A) 友達を待っていた。
B) 友達を信じていた。
③ Final Challenge
Complete the sentence:
『人々は ひとつの予言を _____ それを待っていた』
Answers
① B
② B
③ 信じ
What you achieved today:
✅ Japanese Sentences +1
✅ Japanese Words +9
✅ 日本語 EXP +140
Congratulations 🎉
おめでとう🎉
Learn More Japanese with…
Final Fantasy 1
- 『風はやみ』
See another example of the 「Stem Form」
Now you know why 『ひとつの予言』 carries so much weight in this line, and how the stem form lets 『信じ』 quietly connect two actions into one smooth, literary sentence.
The next time a game‘s opening narration uses a verb in its stem form instead of 「〜て」, you’ll recognize that same literary rhythm building one image into the next.
See you soon! 🎮✨
Alex