At a glance
Noun1 という Noun2 means "a Noun2 called Noun1". Noun1 is the name or term, and Noun2 is the category it belongs to. It is often used to introduce a name the listener may not know.
Noun1 という Noun2
これは「源氏物語」という本です。 This is a book called "The Tale of Genji."
How to form it
Noun1 (the name or content) comes first, and Noun2 (the category) comes after という.
| Attaches to | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Person's name + noun | 田中という人 | a person named Tanaka |
| Place name + noun | 草津という町 | a town called Kusatsu |
| Title + noun | 「となりのトトロ」という映画 | a movie called "My Neighbor Totoro" |
| Term + noun | 「敬語」という言葉 | the word "keigo" |
| Form | Register |
|---|---|
| という | Neutral, used in speech and writing |
| っていう | Casual speech |