知らない方がいいって事もあるんです


[Original video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbb3JJhBfZM#t=13m13s)

I am trying to decipher:

> 知らない方がいいって事もあるんです

The translation that is provided with this phrase is "Some things are better
off left unknown." I'm trying to break this down but I'm stuck.

I know that `知らない方がいい` means "it is better to not know" and `〜事があるんです` can
describe having the experience of doing something. What I don't understand is
this `って` construction in the middle—can anyone explain how this affects the
meaning of the sentence? (Did I transcribe it properly?)




This 「～～って」 is a quotative particle and it is the colloquial form of 「～～という」
in the sentence in question. You will keep encountering those as long as you
study Japanese and this is an understatement. In reality, you simply could not
speak natural Japanese without using the quotative particle even for a minute,
period.

So, who are we quoting? In this case, no one ---- or at least. no one in
particular. In my own words, the speaker is merely representing the "general
public" by implying "Here is how (most) people, myself included, would think
or say." or "Here is what they would say if you asked their opinion."

[知]{し}らない[方]{ほう}がいいって[事]{こと} = things that (people would think/say) are better
off if you/they did not know about

～～事もあるんです = there are (also) things that ~~

This ことがある has nothing to do with "to have the experience of ~~". For it to
mean that, it needs to be preceded by a verb in the past tense --- as in
行ったことがある, 食べたことがある, etc.

Finally, the difference between 「知らない方がいいって事もあるんです」 and 「知らない方がいい事もあるんです」 is
that the former sounds indirect and less assertive, which is exactly what many
Japanese people like. The latter sounds more confident by not "quoting the
imaginary general public" to back up the speaker's opinion.




This 「～～って」 is a quotative particle and it is the colloquial form of 「～～という」
in the sentence in question. You will keep encountering those as long as you
study Japanese and this is an understatement. In reality, you simply could not
speak natural Japanese without using the quotative particle even for a minute,
period.

So, who are we quoting? In this case, no one ---- or at least. no one in
particular. In my own words, the speaker is merely representing the "general
public" by implying "Here is how (most) people, myself included, would think
or say." or "Here is what they would say if you asked their opinion."

[知]{し}らない[方]{ほう}がいいって[事]{こと} = things that (people would think/say) are better
off if you/they did not know about

～～事もあるんです = there are (also) things that ~~

This ことがある has nothing to do with "to have the experience of ~~". For it to
mean that, it needs to be preceded by a verb in the past tense --- as in
行ったことがある, 食べたことがある, etc.

Finally, the difference between 「知らない方がいいって事もあるんです」 and 「知らない方がいい事もあるんです」 is
that the former sounds indirect and less assertive, which is exactly what many
Japanese people like. The latter sounds more confident by not "quoting the
imaginary general public" to back up the speaker's opinion.

