Translation and Meaning of: 言う - iu
Você já se perguntou como os japoneses expressam algo tão simples quanto "dizer"? A palavra 言う (いう) é uma daquelas que parece básica, mas carrega nuances fascinantes. Neste artigo, vamos explorar sua etimologia, uso no cotidiano e até dicas para memorizar o kanji. Se você já usou o Suki Nihongo, sabe que somos o maior dicionário de japonês online, e aqui você também vai encontrar frases prontas para estudar no Anki ou outro sistema de repetição espaçada. Vamos além da tradução literal e mergulhar no que faz essa palavra ser tão versátil.
Por que 言う é tão comum no japonês? Ela aparece em expressões cotidianas, provérbios e até em construções gramaticais mais complexas. Se você já ouviu alguém dizer "そういうこと" (sou iu koto), já teve um gostinho do poder dessa palavra. E não para por aí: o kanji 言 tem uma história visual que ajuda a fixá-lo na memória. Vamos desvendar tudo isso, incluindo os motivos pelos quais os estudantes costumam buscar "言う conjugação" ou "言う vs 話す" no Google.
The Origin and the Kanji of 言う
O kanji 言 (gen, gon, iu) é um daqueles caracteres que contam uma história só de olhar. Repare: ele mostra um boca (口) acima de linhas que representam palavras saindo. Não é à toa que aparece em outros vocábulos relacionados a fala, como 言語 (gengo - linguagem) ou 名言 (meigen - frase célebre). Na escrita antiga, essas linhas lembravam um altar, sugerindo que palavras eram consideradas sagradas - afinal, elas têm poder, não é mesmo?
Interestingly, the reading いう comes from the archaic verb "ゆう," which still survives in some regional dialects. A professor from Kyoto once corrected me when I said "言った" (itta), joking: "Here we say 'ゆうた'!" These variations show how the language is alive. And注意: although 言う is often written in hiragana (いう) in grammatical constructions, the kanji appears when the verb carries more semantic weight in the sentence.
How to Use 言う in Daily Life
Imagine que você quer contar uma fofoca: "Ouvi dizer que o Sato-san vai se casar!" Em japonês, seria "佐藤さんが結婚するそういう話を聞いた" (Sato-san ga kekkon suru sou iu hanashi o kiita). Percebeu como いう aqui conecta a informação ao ato de relatá-la? Esse é o coração do verbo: ele não só indica fala, mas transmissão de conteúdo. Por isso aparece em expressões como "~という" (chamado de...) ou "どういう意味?" (o que significa?).
A common mistake is to think that 言う and 話す are interchangeable. While 話す focuses on the act of conversing ("電話で話す" - talking on the phone), 言う highlights the content being said. Have you noticed how in stores we hear "いらっしゃいませ" but never "言いませ"? That's right - greetings are actions, not information. This subtle difference explains why "嘘を言う" (to tell a lie) sounds natural, but "嘘を話す" would sound as if the lie were an entire conversation!
Memorization and Curiosities
Para nunca mais esquecer o kanji 言, faça como meu aluno Carlos: ele criou uma mnemônica - "um altar onde as palavras são sagradas". Funcionou tão bem que ele agora reconhece esse radical em outros kanji como 信 (confiança) ou 語 (idioma). Outra dica é associar o som いう ao português "iu" (como em "ele iu"), lembrando que é o que fazemos ao emitir palavras.
Did you know that 言う appears in one of the best-known proverbs in Japan? "言わぬが花" (iwanu ga hana - literally "not saying is the flower") means that some things are more beautiful when not verbalized. And on Japanese social media, it's common to see the abbreviation "ってゆーか" (tte yuu ka), a casual way of saying "というか". Even in memes, 言う demonstrates its versatility - proof that mastering it is essential for a natural Japanese speaker.
Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with related words:
Verb conjugation of 言う
- 言う - Base shape
- 言います - polite form
- 言って - imperative form
Synonyms and similar words
- 述べる (noberu) - Explain or describe something.
- 発言する (hatsugen suru) - Make a statement or comment.
- 言葉を発する (kotoba o hassuru) - Expressing words or making a speech.
- 言い表す (iiarasu) - Articulate or express ideas clearly.
- 言い換える (iikaeru) - Rephrase or express in another way.
- 言い続ける (ii tsuzukeru) - Continue to say something.
- 言い伝える (ii tsutaeru) - To transmit information or stories orally.
- 言い聞かせる (ii kikasete) - Convince someone through speech or instruct.
- 言い訳する (iiwake suru) - Justifying or apologizing.
- 言い放つ (ii hanatsu) - To state or declare something emphatically.
Related words
Romaji: iu
Kana: いう
Type: verb
L: jlpt-n3, jlpt-n5
Translation / Meaning: say
Meaning in English: to say
Definition: Tell or recount to someone about something. speak. state
Quick Access
- Vocabulary
- Writing
- Sentences
How to Write in Japanese - (言う) iu
See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese. (言う) iu:
Example Sentences - (言う) iu
See below some example sentences:
Mou bakabakashii koto wo iwanai de kudasai
Please don't say foolish things.
Don't say ridiculous things.
- 馬鹿 - dumb, stupid
- 馬鹿しい - Foolish, absurd
- こと - thing
- を - object particle
- 言わないで - do not say
- ください - Please
Bakarashii koto wo iwanaide kudasai
Please don't say foolish things.
Don't say something stupid.
- 馬鹿らしい - means "ridiculous" or "absurd".
- こと - means "thing" or "subject".
- を - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence.
- 言わないで - negative form of the verb "to say" in the imperative, meaning "don't say".
- ください - polite form of the verb "to give", which indicates a request or demand.
Kanojo wa watashi ni okane wo kureru to itta
She said she would give me money.
She told me that she would earn money.
- 彼女 (kanojo) - she
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 私 (watashi) - I
- に (ni) - target particle
- お金 (okane) - money
- を (wo) - direct object particle
- 呉れる (kureru) - give (humble form)
- と (to) - Quote particle
- 言った (itta) - he said
Hidoi koto wo iwanai de kudasai
Please don't say cruel things.
Don't say bad things.
- 酷い (hidoi) - means "cruel" or "terrible"
- こと (koto) - means "thing" or "subject"
- を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
- 言わないで (iwanaide) - negative form of the verb "to say"
- ください (kudasai) - polite form of the verb "give" or "do"
Shita ga mijikai to iwareru
They say I have a short tongue.
They say the tongue is short.
- 舌 - Tongue
- が - subject particle
- 短い - short
- と - Quote particle
- 言われる - ser dito
Waruguchi o iwanaide kudasai
Please do not speak ill of others.
Don't say bad words.
- 悪口 - means "bad words" or "offensive language".
- を - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence.
- 言わないで - negative form of the verb "to say" in the imperative, meaning "don't say".
- ください - polite form of the verb "to give", which indicates a request or demand.
- で - particle that indicates the place or means by which something is done.
Joudan wa iwanaide kudasai
Please don't make jokes.
Do not play.
- 冗談 - Word in Japanese that means "joke".
- は - Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
- 言わないで - negative form of the Japanese verb "to say", which means "don't say".
- ください - Japanese word meaning "please", used to make a polite request.
Detsuraku me na koto wo iwanai de kudasai
Please don't say meaningless things.
Don't say anything bad.
- 出鱈目 (shutsudzareme) - nonsense, absurd
- な (na) - particle that indicates negation or prohibition
- こと (koto) - thing, subject
- を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
- 言わないで (iwanaide) - do not say
- ください (kudasai) - Please
Yokei na koto o iwanaide kudasai
Please do not say unnecessary things.
Don't say anything extra.
- 余計なこと - "unnecessary things"
- を - object particle
- 言わないで - "não diga"
- ください - "Please"
Hakkiri to itte kudasai
Please speak clearly.
Please say it clearly.
- はっきりと - adverb that means "clearly"
- 言って - verb "to say" in the imperative
- ください - verb "to give" in the imperative, used to make a polite request
Other Words of this Type: verb
See other words from our dictionary that are also: verb
ukeru
accomplish; to accept; catch (lesson, test, damage); pass by; to experiment; Take (for example, a ball); become popular.