いう help

[jljzen]

I'm having a little trouble, and to be honest, I'm actually a little embarrassed because I don't really understand this grammar point, although it is fairly common. I don't understand the usage of いう
I know that it means a という b = A b called a.

I can't really explain this or cite an example, because they are various, but I often see sentences that go 。。。なんとかという事です。

And sometimes I wonder if this is superfluous and necessary since without it I can often understand the sentence.

HELP PLEASE!

 

[Damicci]

Expression: Noun + "to yuu" + Noun
Good info there.
I think it just basically is used as a set phrase to say something is called something else.

 

[Elizabeth]

I can't really explain this or cite an example, because they are various, but I often see sentences that go 。。。なんとかという事です。

And sometimes I wonder if this is superflluous and necessary since without it I can often understand the sentence.

HELP PLEASE!!!

なんとかという事です "to iu koto desu" is the same as "to iu imi desu" meaning "means" or "has the meaning of." "この言葉はどういう意味でしょうか？"
"XXXということです。"

 

[Damicci]

So that is how you would normally ask "what does that mean"?

その漢字はという意味ですか What does that kanji say/mean?

 

[Elizabeth]

So that is how you would normally ask "what does that mean"?

その漢字はという意味ですか What does that kanji say/mean?

I think you normally use "dou imi de"

"To iu koto de" is used a lot in conversation if you didn't catch the gist of what someone was saying "To iu koto de?" What do you mean by that? 'to' in this case quoting or referring to what the person just said.

 

[Damicci]

はい 分かりました。 ありがとうございました。
もし、友達は私を分かりません時彼女は「どういう分かんない」と言うと思います。

 

[Elizabeth]

はい 分かりました。 ありがとうございました。
もし、友達は私を分かりません時彼女は「どういう分かんない」と言うと思います。

tomodachi wa watashi no itte iru koto ga wakaranai toki, "nani ga wakarnai?" to iu to omoimasu ? to iu imi deshouka?

 

[Damicci]

I am not sure but when I say something in english. She sometimes says something like どういう分かんない I think. I asked her about it before and she told me it basically means "I don't understand what that means" I'll ask her about again. I always forget stuff she tells me until she says it again then it starts to stick.

 

[Elizabeth]

I am not sure but when I say something in english. She sometimes says something like どういう分かんない I think. I asked her about it before and she told me it basically means "I don't understand what that means" I'll ask her about again. I always forget stuff she tells me until she says it again then it starts to stick.

Probably something like "dou iu tte iru ka wakarnai" What was it you are saying ?

 

[nhk9]

probably she had meant "dou iu imi ka wakannai"... "dou iu wakannai" sounds something like "i don't understand what type"... or "i don't understand what kind"..., as "dou iu" simply means "which (kind/type)", by itself

 

[Damicci]

O'course i was mistaken as usual. It was "imi ga wakannai" she just likes to shorten things.

 

[Elizabeth]

O'course i was mistaken as usual. It was "imi ga wakannai" she just likes to shorten things.

That sounds much better. Or just "yoku wakaranai (wakannai)." Although you could always suggest she mix it up every once in a while so you can actually learn something.

 

[Damicci]

That sounds much better. Or just "yoku wakaranai (wakannai)." Although you could always suggest she mix it up every once in a while so you can actually learn something.

*Holds hand over heart* right here Liz, right here!
Actually thats not a bad idea. ☝