Posted inN4 Grammar

Mastering という: Understanding its Many Uses (JLPT N4 Grammar)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

referred to as, called, named, meaning that, it is said that, the fact that

🎯 Primary Function

Connects a preceding phrase/clause/noun to a following noun, acting as a modifier indicating the content of the preceding part. It is primarily used for quoting/reporting information indirectly, defining terms, or referring to something specific.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Noun] という [Noun] [Plain form Verb/い-Adj/な-Adj (drop な)/Noun + だ] という [Noun] [Plain form Verb/い-Adj/な-Adj (drop な)/Noun + だ] ということ / というの

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used in formal explanations, reports, and written communication to introduce definitions or report information indirectly.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in everyday conversation to refer to things, report what someone said, or explain concepts.

✍️ Written Language

Widely used in all forms of written Japanese, from articles and books to emails and reports.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common and essential for natural conversation, used for various functions like introducing names, reporting information, and clarifying meaning.

💡 Common Applications

Introducing names or titles
Used to specify what someone or something is called or named.
Example: 田中さんという人は私の先生です。(A person called Mr. Tanaka is my teacher.)
Reporting information or indirect speech
Used to report the content of what was said, heard, thought, or announced.
Example: 明日は雨が降るという天気予報を聞きました。(I heard the weather forecast that it will rain tomorrow.)
Defining or explaining a term
Used to clarify the meaning of a word or phrase.
Example: 「禁煙」というのは、タバコを吸ってはいけませんという意味です。(Kin’en means that you must not smoke.)
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N4). The basic use for names is simple, but the reporting/defining functions and the plain form connection require dedicated study.
Example Sentences
これは「ポケモン」というゲームです。
This is a game called “Pokemon”.
山田さんが結婚するというニュースを聞きました。
I heard the news that Ms. Yamada is getting married.
「親切」というのは、人に優しくすることです。
“Shinsetsu” means being kind to people.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Connects plain forms
The verb, adjective, or noun phrase before という must be in its plain form, except for nouns and な-adjectives which often attach with だ.
Example: Correct: 明日雨が降る**という**予報 (Plain form 降る) Incorrect: 明日雨が降ります**という**予報 (Polite form 降ります)
Often modifies a following noun
という frequently precedes and modifies nouns that indicate information, reports, or concepts, such as ニュース (news), 話 (story), 予報 (forecast), 連絡 (contact), こと (thing), etc.
Example: 試験は中止になった**という**お知らせがありました。(There was a notice that the exam was cancelled.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using polite form before という
✅ Use the plain form before という.
という connects to the plain, dictionary, or casual form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns (often with だ). Using polite forms like -ます or -です is incorrect in this structure.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness is determined by the overall sentence structure and the plain form used before という, not by という itself.
Social Situations: Widely used in all social contexts.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜という vs 〜と followed by 言う/思う/聞く
〜という is typically used to report the *content* of information/speech/thought and often modifies a following noun (like news, story, etc.). 〜と is the direct quotation particle used immediately before verbs of saying, thinking, hearing, etc.
When to use: Use 〜という when reporting information indirectly or defining/referring to something by its description (often modifying a noun). Use 〜と immediately before verbs like 言う, 思う, 聞く to quote or state the content directly.
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When to use: undefined
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📝 Conjugation Notes

The part before という must be in the plain form (dictionary form, past tense -た, negative form, い-adjectives, な-adjectives without な, nouns with だ).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

とい-う is pronounced smoothly as a single unit, often sounding closer to “toe-yoo”.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of という as a bridge connecting a description (what something is called/said/meant) to the thing itself or the concept being discussed.

Practice Exercises
Select the correct particle to fill the blank: 山田さん（　　）人は私の友達です。
が
に
という
は
Choose the most natural sentence to report the news about the exam cancellation.
a) 試験は中止になりましたというニュースを聞きました。
b) 試験は中止になったというニュースを聞きました。
c) 試験は中止になりますというニュースを聞きました。
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