Today we're going to challenge the almighty という which can be used in like a gajillion different grammar points. But today I'm just going to focus on the most basic one, in which we're basically saying.... (1) The thing which we call X is...... But it can also have another meaning of (2) "the reason for X." But we'll get to that in just a sec. Lets look at the examples for the 1st meaning. (1) X to iu no wa The thing called X; that which we call X. "Sexual harassment" というのは、日本語でセクハラという。 "Sexual harassment" in Japanese is "sekuhara." 豆腐というのは、代表的な大豆食品である。 （とうふというのは、だいひょうてきなだいずしょくひんである。） Tofu is a representative soybean product. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: 代表 is representative (as in a person) and 代表的 is representative (as an adjective -- as in, something is representative of ___) 大豆 (daizu) means "soybean." The 豆 kanji is the same kanji in edamame (枝豆）、azuki beans (red bean --> Though the kanji here says "small bean", probably cuz they are small, 小豆）、and just the simple word mame (豆）which means bean! 食料品(しょくりょうひん）are your groceries. 食料品店(しょくりょうひんてん）is a grocery store. 食 = food, 料 = fee, cost, 品 = product, goods, 店 = store. So it's kind of like putting a puzzle together...When you just have 食品, it combines food + product. So what do ya got? A food product!! When you put soybean (大豆) + food product (食品) together = soybean food product, or just soybean product (since the food part is obvious. である is just like です, except in written form. である is the writing form of です！ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So anywayyyyy.......I love to explain how Japanese works, but it always results in a long-winded explanation because you never know what level your readers/students will be at. I tried my best though!! Now I wanna move over to the 2nd meaning of Xというのは (2) X to iu no wa X というのは The reason for X. Can be used, as in the third and fourth examples below, as the continuation or elaboration of information contained in a previous sentence or passage, in the sense of "That is to say," "What I mean to say is..." or "The reason is..." Often paired with から when giving explanations or reasons. 大都会に住みたくないというのは、大気汚染で頭が痛くなるからである。 (だいとかいにすみたくないというのは、たいきおせんであたまがいたくなるからである。） The reason I don't want to live in a big city is that the air pollution gives me a headache. 私にとってはスペイン語より日本語を勉強する方がずっと面白いというのは、日本語は私の母語である (watashi) (go) (nihongo) (benkyou) (hou) (omoshiroi) (bogo) 英語とあまりにも違っているからである。 (eigo) (chigatteiru) The reason I prefer studying Japanese to Spanish is that Japanese is so different from English, my native tongue. 今年、ヨーロッパに行かないことにした。というのは、もう少しお金をためてから行きたいからである。 I decided not to go to Europe this year. The reason is that I want to go after I save a little more money. Grammar Notes: ことにする = to decide on something (on your own). For example, if you want a cola from the restaurant, you might say....コーラにします。(But that's without the koto. I'll think of a better example.) 毎日、ジョギングをすることにしました。(I decided that I will jog everyday.) This sort of decision making is different from ことになっている(which is a custom, something that is decided by customs or just a decision that you didn't make yourself.) For example, げんかんに入ると、靴を脱ぐことになっています。(When you enter a genkan, it's custom to take off your shoes.). So ya, there are a few others, but I kinda just wanna get on with the examples and I will elaborate on this later~ lol. Other Note: てから (te form of verb + kara) = after V. I looked up this grammar point in my book a while ago, and I was like ooooo when I found out, so it's good to mention since it's so easy to miss in beginning grammar!! You should know that verbs can be connected by the て form (コールを飲んで、散歩しました。、etc. -- I drank a cola, and then I went for a walk.). Well if you have a verb in te-form, then から after it, it means After doing this....(whatever the verb is!!)..... 今晩映画を見に行く約束をしていたが行けなくなった。というのは、両親が急にやって来ることになったからである。 Although I promised to go to the movies tonight, I can't. The reason is that at the last moment it turned out that my parents are coming over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 
今まで、写真を取ることができませんでした。でも、私の誕生日は来月だから、父から特別なプレゼントを持ってくれるかもしれない。カメラを買えればいいのに。www