Japanese Grammar: という (to iu) – “Called” or “Named”

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Japanese Grammar: という (to iu) – “Called” or “Named”
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Called; named; that says…

🎯 Primary Function

To identify something by name or to define the specific content of a noun.

📋 Grammar Structure

Plain Form + という + Noun
Plain Form + という + Noun
Plain Form (だ) + という + Noun
Verb (ない Form) + という + Noun

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used frequently in presentations or when introducing unfamiliar concepts to an audience.

😊 Informal Situations

Used when telling friends about a new restaurant, a person they haven’t met, or gossip.

✍️ Written Language

Used in articles, books, and formal emails to clarify terms or report information.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Commonly shortened to ‘って’ in casual conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Naming things/people
Used to introduce the name of a specific person, place, or object that the listener might not know.
Example: サクラという木 (A tree called Sakura)
Defining content
Used to describe the specific content of a noun like ‘news’, ‘story’, or ‘rumor’.
Example: 合格したというニュース (The news that I passed)
Explaining terms
Used to highlight a specific term or concept to discuss its meaning.
Example: 「自由」という言葉 (The word ‘freedom’)
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
N4
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
田中さんという人を知っていますか？
Furigana: たなかさんというひとをしっていますか？
Romaji: Tanaka-san to iu hito o shitte imasu ka?
English: Do you know a person called Mr. Tanaka?
Example #2
これは何という花ですか？
Furigana: これはなんというはなですか？
Romaji: Kore wa nan to iu hana desu ka?
English: What is this flower called?
Example #3
アップルという会社で働いています。
Furigana: アップルというかいしゃではたらいています。
Romaji: Appuru to iu kaisha de hataraite imasu.
English: I work at a company called Apple.
Example #4
来週試験があるという話を聞きました。
Furigana: らいしゅうしけんがあるというはなしをききました。
Romaji: Raishuu shiken ga aru to iu hanashi o kikimashita.
English: I heard a rumor that there is an exam next week.
Example #5
「ありがとう」という言葉は大切です。
Furigana: 「ありがとう」ということはばはたいせつです。
Romaji: ‘Arigatou’ to iu kotoba wa taisetsu desu.
English: The word “Arigato” is very important.
Example #6
納豆という食べ物は好きですか？
Furigana: なっとうというたべものはすきですか？
Romaji: Nattou to iu tabemono wa suki desu ka?
English: Do you like the food called “Natto”?
Example #7
彼は明日来られないというメールをくれました。
Furigana: かれはあしたこられないというメールをくれました。
Romaji: Kare wa ashita korarenai to iu meeru o kuremashita.
English: He sent me an email saying he cannot come tomorrow.
Example #8
禁煙というルールを守ってください。
Furigana: きんえんというルールをまもってください。
Romaji: Kin’en to iu ruuru o mamotte kudasai.
English: Please follow the rule of “No Smoking.”
Example #9
ここは新宿という駅です。
Furigana: ここはしんじゅくというえきです。
Romaji: Koko wa Shinjuku to iu eki desu.
English: This is a station called Shinjuku.
Example #10
「挨拶」という意味がわかりません。
Furigana: 「あいさつ」といういみがわかりません。
Romaji: ‘Aisatsu’ to iu imi ga wakarimasen.
English: I don’t understand the meaning of the word “Aisatsu.”
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Bridge between Specific and General
It acts like a bridge between a specific name/quote and a general category noun.
Example: 「猫」という言葉。
Reporting Content
It is often used with nouns like ‘hanashi’ (story), ‘uwasa’ (rumor), or ‘nyuusu’ (news).
Example: 明日休みだという話。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 田中さんの人
✅ 田中さんという人
While ‘no’ marks possession, ‘to iu’ is required to say ‘the person named Tanaka’.
❌ おいしいのという理由
✅ おいしいという理由
Adjectives must be in plain form before ‘to iu’. ‘No’ is not used here.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite (~desu/masu) and casual sentences.
Social Situations: Essential for introducing oneself or others in business when the company name might be unfamiliar.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations, but ‘tte’ is the universal casual substitute across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

という vs. って
‘って’ is the casual, spoken version of ‘という’.
When to use: Use ‘という’ in writing and formal speech; use ‘って’ with friends.
という vs. の
‘No’ connects two nouns (A’s B), while ‘To iu’ defines the first noun as the name of the second.
When to use: Use ‘to iu’ when the first noun is a name or a quote.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Always follows the plain form of verbs and adjectives. For nouns, it directly follows the noun (Noun + という).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

In natural speech, ‘to iu’ often blends into ‘toyuu’ or is replaced by ‘tte’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘to iu’ as ‘that says’ or ‘which is called’. ‘To’ acts as a quotation particle, and ‘iu’ means ‘to say’.

Other Grammar

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