言い方
The Japanese phrase for "how to say" is 言い方.
言い方 refers to the way of saying something. This can mean the literal pronunciation or the specific vocabulary used, but it is also frequently used to refer to a person's choice of words or their tone.
Did you know?
- The term 言い方 is closely linked to the concept of 空気, or 'reading the air', where the correct way to say something depends entirely on the unspoken social atmosphere.
- The verb inside the phrase, 言う, is used in the expression 口が軽い to describe someone who cannot keep a secret, literally meaning their 'mouth is light'.
- In Japanese, a person's 言い方 can be described as 'sharp' 鋭い or 'soft' 柔らかい, mapping linguistic tone to physical textures.
Examples in context
- ドイツ語の「ありがとう」の言い方を思い出せないんだ。I can't remember how to say "Thank you" in German.Tatoeba #201745 by small_snow, translation #38956 by CN
- 日本語で「犬」とどう言うの？How do you say "dog" in Japanese?
- もっと丁寧な言い方を教えてください。Motto teinei na iikata o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me a more polite way to say it.
- この言い方は失礼ではありませんか。Kono iikata wa shitsurei de wa arimasen ka.Is this way of saying it rude?
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are discussing Japanese etiquette at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui大翔くん、この言い方は自然かな？Hiroto-kun, kono iikata wa shizen kana?Hiroto, is this way of saying it natural?
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんの言い方は、とても丁寧だよ。Yui-san no iikata wa, totemo teinei da yo.The way you say it, Yui, is very polite.
- 結衣 Yuiよかった！もっと良い言い方があるかな？Yokatta! Motto ii iikata ga aru kana?I'm glad! I wonder if there is a better way to say it?
- 大翔 Hirotoそれも全然問題ないと思うよ。Sore mo zenzen mondai nai to omou yo.I think that is also perfectly fine.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
