Posted inN2 Grammar

Mastering といった: Expressing Examples and Categories in Japanese (JLPT N2 Grammar)

Posted inN2 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“Such as,” “like,” “things/people like,” “referred to as.” It introduces representative examples of a larger category or group, or describes something using a particular phrase or name.

🎯 Primary Function

To present specific examples that characterize or represent a general category, or to refer to something by a quoted phrase or description.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun A, Noun B, etc. + といった + Noun C (Noun C is the general category) Phrase/Sentence (plain form) + といった + Noun (Noun describes the nature of the phrase/sentence)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used in formal documents, academic papers, and business reports to provide structured examples.

😊 Informal Situations

Less common in very casual conversations, but can be used when explaining or listing examples in a slightly more structured way.

✍️ Written Language

Very common and highly versatile in written Japanese, especially in explanatory or descriptive texts.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used in spoken language for explanations, presentations, and when providing illustrative examples.

💡 Common Applications

Listing representative examples
Used to enumerate a few typical examples that fall under a broader category, implying there are other similar items.
Example: 東京には、浅草や渋谷といった観光地がたくさんあります。(Tokyo has many tourist spots such as Asakusa and Shibuya.)
Characterizing or describing with a phrase
Can be used to refer to something by a particular phrase or description, often functioning like an indirect quote that defines a type of thing or statement.
Example: 彼は「無理だ」といった否定的な言葉をよく使う。(He often uses negative words like “It’s impossible.”)
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📊
Frequency
Commonly encountered in N2 level reading materials and everyday explanations.
🎚️
Difficulty
Medium. The basic meaning is straightforward, but distinguishing its nuances from similar grammar points requires careful attention.
Example Sentences
休日には、映画鑑賞や読書といった趣味を楽しんでいます。
On holidays, I enjoy hobbies such as watching movies and reading.
この地域では、米や野菜といった農作物が盛んに生産されています。
In this region, agricultural products such as rice and vegetables are actively produced.
彼は「無理だ」といった否定的な言葉をよく使う。
He often uses negative words like “It’s impossible.”
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Representative Examples
The examples provided with といった are typically representative of a larger group or type, not just random items. It implies that these examples help define the category.
Example: 彼らは、日本語、英語、中国語といった外国語を話せる。(They can speak foreign languages such as Japanese, English, and Chinese. – These are examples of “foreign languages” they can speak.)
Implies a Category
いった is often followed by a noun that represents the general category or type to which the preceding examples belong.
Example: 読書や散歩といった静かな活動が好きです。(I like quiet activities such as reading and walking.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Confusing with ～など (nado)
✅ While both list examples, といった emphasizes the “type” or “characteristic” defined by the examples, whereas ～など simply means “etc.” or “among others” without necessarily defining a category.
といった suggests that the listed items are *typical* examples that help characterize the following noun. など is a more general “and so on.”
❌ Using directly after verbs/adjectives (non-nominalized)
✅ いった must follow nouns or phrases that function as nouns (nominalized clauses).
You cannot directly attach といった to a plain verb or i-adjective. If you want to use a verb/adjective phrase, it needs to be nominalized first (e.g., using の or こと).

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral to slightly formal. It is suitable for various social situations, from general conversation to formal presentations.
Social Situations: Used when explaining, categorizing, or providing illustrative examples. It helps structure information clearly.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in usage.

🔍 Subtle Differences

といった vs. ～など (nado)
といった provides representative examples that help define or characterize the following category/noun. など simply means “etc.” or “among others” and can list non-defining examples.
When to use: Use といった when the examples are typical or defining of a category. Use など when you are merely listing a few items and implying there are more, without necessarily defining a type.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

いった is derived from the verb 言う (いう – to say/call) in its past tense form. It acts as a set phrase here. It directly follows nouns or phrases that act as nouns.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The “i” in いった is a short “i” sound, and the double “t” indicates a sokuon (っ), which causes a brief pause before the “ta” sound.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of といった as “things that are said to be (like these examples).” This highlights its role in presenting defining or representative examples.

Vocabulary List
趣味
shumi
hobby
映画鑑賞
eiga kanshou
movie watching
読書
dokushu
reading
地域
chiiki
region
米
kome
rice
野菜
yasai
vegetables
農作物
agricultural products
Kanji List
趣
しゅ
taste, gist, hobby
味
み
taste
映
えい
reflect, project
画
が
picture, drawing
鑑
かん
discernment, appraisal
賞
しょう
prize, reward
読
どく
read
書
しょ
write
地
ち
ground, earth
域
いき
area, region
米
こめ
rice
Practice Exercises
休日は映画鑑賞や読書___趣味を楽しんでいます。
などの
といった
のような
という
環境問題___地球規模の課題に取り組む必要がある。
としての
といった
のような
など
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