〜という〜

When mentioning a name the listener may not know, you sandwich it between という and a noun for the category: ダナンという町 (a city called Da Nang), 「さくら」という店 (a shop called Sakura). The literal meaning is "(is) called" — it's the very verb 言う from the 〜と言う lesson.

This pattern signals "this is a proper name you may never have heard," so it's perfect for introducing your hometown or talking about movies, books, dishes… Conversely, with names everyone knows, it's unnecessary: 東京という町 sounds redundant; just saying 東京 is enough.

To ask for a name, use 何という: これは何という花ですか (what is this flower called?). In casual speech, という often shortens to っていう or って.

Examples

• 私(わたし)はダナンという町(まち)から来(き)ました。

  I come from a city called Da Nang.

• 「さくら」という店(みせ)でケーキを買(か)いました。

  I bought a cake at a shop called Sakura.

• これは何(なん)という花(はな)ですか。

  What is this flower (what is it called)?

Related patterns

• 〜と言う
• 〜という意味
• 〜って