Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 2: 12/22

と言(い)うCalled, Named, Known as, As much as

Structure

Noun (A) + という + Noun (B)

Details

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    Standard

About という

という is a combination of the case marking particle と, and the う - Verb 言(い)う. It is a set expression that primarily uses only hiragana. という connects two nouns, and means 'the (B) that is called (A)', or 'the (B) known as (A)'.

Fun Fact

という (and the verb 言(い)う itself) is often quite misunderstood, as the closest translation in English is 'to say'. In Japanese, 言(い)う actually refers to the information about something that cannot be discovered by simply 'looking at' it. For example, if you look at a man, you cannot know that his name is Bob, or that he works in an office, but you can know whether he is 'short', 'tall', etc. Due to this, という should only be used to express information that requires intimate knowledge, and not simple observations.

It is possible to see (A) という (B) in sentences where (A) is describing something that seems 'obvious'. However, in these cases, the speaker is usually implying that something about (A) is not exactly as it seems, or that their opinion/knowledge differs.

This particular nuance is not limited to nouns, and may be seen with almost any word type.

Related

Examples

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    ポケモンと言(い)うゲームを知(し)っている？

    Do you know the game called 'Pokemon?'

    今(いま)は梅雨(つゆ)と言(い)う時期(じき)です。

    We are now in the time of year called 'Tsuyu' (rainy season).

    スマホと言(い)うものは便利(べんり)なものだね。

    The things known as smartphones are very convenient.

    秋(あき)と言(い)う季節(きせつ)が大好(だいす)きだ。

    I love the season (known as) 'Autumn.'

    佐藤(さとう)浩一(こういち)と言(い)う人(ひと)を知(し)っていますか？

    Do you know a man named 'Sato Koichi'?

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