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How to say 'Say' in Japanese | 言う

Wondering how to say 'Say' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Say is 'Iu', written as 言う in Japanese.'Say' in hiragana is いう.

    word

    言う

    Meaning

    Say

    Reading

    いう

    iu

    Kanji

    Say

    Explanation

    The Japanese verb '言う (いう)' means 'to say' or 'to tell'. It is used to express speaking or conveying information. This verb is highly versatile and can be used in various contexts, such as quoting someone, expressing thoughts, or giving instructions. For example: He said he will come「彼は来ると言った」(かれはくるといった). What did you say?「何と言いましたか?」(なんといいましたか?). It can also be used in idiomatic expressions, such as 'そう言う (そういう)' meaning 'that kind of' or 'such'. Note that '言う' is often used in its polite form '言います (いいます)' in formal situations.

    Part Of Speech

    verb

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    2

    Frequency

    50

    Composition

    kanji-hiragana

    Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 言う

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Say

Hiragana in the Word 言う

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    U

Words Related to 言う Through the Kanji

These 26 Words contain the Kanji 言 as well.

  • word

    言葉

    Meaning

    Word

  • word

    言い方

    Meaning

    Way of speaking

  • word

    言語

    Meaning

    Language

  • word

    発言

    Meaning

    Statement

  • word

    一言

    Meaning

    Word

  • word

    言わば

    Meaning

    So to speak

  • word

    言い出す

    Meaning

    Start saying

  • word

    宣言

    Meaning

    Declaration

  • word

    言い返す

    Meaning

    Retort

  • word

    言い表わす

    Meaning

    Express

  • word

    言論

    Meaning

    Discussion, Speech

  • word

    言い訳

    Meaning

    Excuse

  • word

    言付ける

    Meaning

    Entrust

  • word

    証言

    Meaning

    Testimony

  • word

    遺言

    Meaning

    Will

  • word

    言葉遣い

    Meaning

    Wording

  • word

    書き言葉

    Meaning

    Written language

  • word

    方言

    Meaning

    Dialect

  • word

    言い替える

    Meaning

    Rephrase

  • word

    無言

    Meaning

    Silence

  • word

    予言

    Meaning

    Prophecy

  • word

    Meaning

    Word

  • word

    言及

    Meaning

    Mention

  • word

    独り言

    Meaning

    Soliloquy

  • word

    話し言葉

    Meaning

    Spoken language

  • word

    伝言

    Meaning

    Message

Learn the Word 言う

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Iu' (言う) mean?

'Iu' means 'Say' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.