という Japanese Grammar Lesson
Grammar Type: Phrase
Essential Meaning: So-called X / Called X / That says X
Construction:
- Noun + という + Noun
- E.g. 「雪国」という小説 [A novel called ”Yukiguni”]
- Sentence + という + Noun
- E.g. 山田さんが入院したという知らせ [A notice that says that Yamada-san has been hospitalized]
Notes:
- という is a combination of the quotation marker と and the verb 言う [To call / To say] and is used to define or explain the noun that it precedes. In other words, the information that precedes という is prepended to the noun that follows という in order to create a larger, more informative noun phrase. という is commonly used in the following contexts:
- (1) To name or define a noun (i.e. “A noun called X“)
- E.g.「雪国」という小説 [A novel called “Yukiguni”]
- E.g. 「スー」という男子 [A boy named “Sue”]
- E.g. 「七人の侍」という映画を見たことがありますか。 [Have you ever seen the film called Seven Samurai?]
- (2) To describe the contents of a message or communication. Nouns of communication such as 話 [Speech], ニュース [News], 知らせ [Message / Notice], 手紙 [Letter], and うわさ [Rumor] are commonly used with という in this context.
- E.g. ヤマダさんが入院したという知らせを聞きました。[I heard the news that Mr. Yamada has been hospitalized.]
- E.g. ジューンが日本へいくという話は本当ですか。[Is the story that June is coming to Japan true?]
- (3) To describe the contents of an internal feeling or emotion. Nouns of human emotion such as 悲しみ [Sadness], 感じ [Feeling], 気持ち [Feeling], 恐れ [Fear], and 喜び [Joy] are used with という in this context.
- E.g. もっと頑張らなくてはならないという気持ちがある。[There’s a feeling that we must try even harder.]
- E.g. その人に会いたくないという気持ちはよく分かります。[I really understand the feeling that you don’t want to meet that person.]
- (4) To describe a situation with the nominalizer こと.
- E.g. 友達が今日来るということをすっかり忘れていた。[I had completely forgotten the fact that my friends are coming today.]
- (1) To name or define a noun (i.e. “A noun called X“)
- When the element that precedes という is a noun phrase or a quotation, という is mandatory. Otherwise, という may be optionally omitted.
- E.g. もっと頑張らなくてはならない(という)気持ちがある。[There’s a feeling that we must try even harder.]
- E.g. その人に会いたくない(という)気持ちはよく分かります。[I really understand the feeling that you don’t want to meet that person.]
- E.g. 友達が今日来る(という)ことをすっかり忘れていた。[I had completely forgotten the fact that my friends are coming today.]
- E.g. *「雪国」小説 [A novel called “Yukiguni”] という can not be omitted when the object that precedes という is a noun phrase.
- E.g. *ヤマダさんが入院した知らせを聞きました。[I heard the news that Mr. Yamada has been hospitalized.] という can not be omitted when the object that precedes という is a quotation (either direct or indirect).
- In written Japanese, という can be used at the end of a sentence to indicate hearsay (i.e. “I heard that…“, “They say…”, “It is said that…“, et cetera).
- E.g. 学生の話によると吉田先生は教え方が非常に上手だという。[According to what the students say, Furata-sensei’s teaching stye is extremely good.]
Example Sentences:
「雪国」という小説 [A novel called “Yukiguni”]
ヤマダさんが入院したという知らせを聞きました。[I heard the news that Mr. Yamada has been hospitalized.]
もっと頑張らなくてはならないという気持ちがある。[There’s a feeling that we must try even harder.]
「七人の侍」という映画を見たことがありますか。 [Have you ever seen the film called Seven Samurai?]
その人に会いたくないという気持ちはよく分かります。[I really understand the feeling that you don’t want to meet that person.]
友達が今日来るということをすっかり忘れていた。[I had completely forgotten the fact that my friends are coming today.]
WILD Examples:
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