How to use "to iu"

[beluga]

Hi,

I've seen this used many times but I am still unable to fully understand how it's used. So far I know that it's used in "nan to iu", which roughly means "such a".

Thanks

[PaulTB]

There a few different 'to iu' usages.
'called'
e.g. po-ru to iu hito ga kita. -> A person called 'Paul' came.
'say'
e.g. kare ga "oneesan ga ninshin shichimatta" to itta. -> He said your sisters gone and got pregnant.

[mdchachi]

shichimatta
I think this should either be shiteshimatta or shichatta. It sounds like you're mixing up the two forms.

nan to iu
I can't think of any instances offhand where this would mean "such a". It's more like, "what's it called" or "what to say." I frequently use it to ask questions. For example:
nihongo de Mars ha nan to iu? --> What do you call Mars in Japanese?
nan to iu kaisha deshita kke? --> What was the name of that company (again)?

[PaulTB]

shichimatta
I think this should either be shiteshimatta or shichatta. It sounds like you're mixing up the two forms.
Nope, that's deliberate. ちまう is an (rather less common but far from rare) alternative to ちゃう. Allegedly (depending where you are) the former is more 'manly'. ;-)

nan to iu
I can't think of any instances offhand where this would mean "such a".

He's probably thinking of なんということだ

[mdchachi]

Oh yeah, forgot about that one. I don't remember hearing it with suru much. Actually I don't recall hearing it that much in any case. But it could partly be because I tended to hang with girls (to the detriment of my manliness). :-(

[PaulTB]

[...] partly be because I tended to hang with girls (to the detriment of my manliness). :-(
Depending on circumstances I think hanging with girls would be a positive manliness bonus. :D

[d3ntaku]

There are four different "toiu" grammar types in the JGram Project:

http://www.pikkle.com/jgram/viewList.php?s=toiu

toiukotoda $B$H$$$&$3$H$@(B it must mean, it boils down to
toiumono $B$H$$$&$b$N(B that thing called
toiuto $B$H8@$&$H(B If you say, when you say
toiuyori $B$H$$$&$h$j(B rather / more than

I guess I should add the above "nantoiu"

Any other examples come to mind?

<dc>

[d3ntaku]

iu $B8@$&!!(Bis also the verb to speak
to $B$H(B is used to quote things people said

so...

$B!V2?!W$H8@$C$?!!(B
nan to itta
= s/he said <something>

[d3ntaku]

hmm, looks like the kanji got a little messed up in that still..

[PaulTB]

hmm, looks like the kanji got a little messed up in that still..
Yeah this forum is having growing pains ;-)
If you have Internet Explorer then select
Encoding -> Western European
_before_ typing anything in the box. (I know it sounds stupid - but it works).

[d3ntaku]

Yeah this forum is having growing pains ;-)
If you have Internet Explorer then select
Encoding -> Western European
_before_ typing anything in the box. (I know it sounds stupid - but it works).
I'm using firefox mostly, but I can try that.

文字変更して、再入力して、読めるようになった？

[PaulTB]

I'm using firefox mostly, but I can try that.

文字変更して、再入力して、読めるようになった？

オッケーです。

Oh the other thing is - disable smilies or don't put )'s next to Japanese.

[mdchachi]

> I guess I should add the above "nantoiu"

> Any other examples come to mind?

There are lots of sentence patterns. Are you trying to enumerate them all?

For example, you can also have nan to iu koto? When said in a loud, upset voice I usually take it to mean "What the hell is going on here?!"

You could also add "to ieba" which is basically equivalent to "toiuto." (As well as "toittara"). And then there's "toittemo". Like I said, how far do you want to take it?

Is the grammar thing your baby? Pretty cool.

[PaulTB]

> I guess I should add the above "nantoiu"

> Any other examples come to mind?

There are lots of sentence patterns. Are you trying to enumerate them all?
Deciding when to stop is a little tricky ;-)

I'd guess he'd want any grammar construct / word that's likely to come up in a JLPT quiz in the grammar section. ^^v

[Elizabeth]

Iu is dropped fairly regularly in conversational speech as well, as in "to" or "to wa" --> "(unknown word) to (wa) nan desuka?" although it seems set in certain phrases such as "to iu hyougen" or "to iu kotoba." So how this pattern is distributed exactly I'm not quite sure....

[beluga]

The reason I said "nan to iu" means "such a" is because our text book were thought in this form. Below is the example text

$B!V2?$H$$$&$R$I$$?M$?$A$@$m$&!#G/4s$j$K0l$D$&$j$b$/$l$J$$$H$O!W(B

Thanks guys for the examples. I will check out the links.

[beluga]

Deciding when to stop is a little tricky ;-)

I'd guess he'd want any grammar construct / word that's likely to come up in a JLPT quiz in the grammar section. ^^v

Nah, not too concern with JLPT but main to know clearly how to use "to iu" as and when I like rather than memorizing it as, "oh if I want to ask what is the meaning of this, I should use this phrase XXXX tte nan to iu imi desu ka". I always like to dissect words up to know exactly why it's used and when it's used. That way, I can have the full knowledge of knowing why I use them.

So, basically, I know the combination of nan to iu. However, I've seen "to iu" by itself many times and I couldn't fully understand when I should use it.

[Elizabeth]

Nope, that's deliberate. $B$A$^$&amp;(B is an (rather less common but far from rare) alternative to $B$A$c$&amp;(B.
I just came across this form in a manga as well....San sai datta tae wo sutete chimattandayo.....Now what have I done? I gave up my three year old baby.....:bawling:

[Elizabeth]

"oh if I want to ask what is the meaning of this, I should use this phrase XXXX tte nan to iu imi desu ka". I always like to dissect words up to know exactly why it's used and when it's used.

I think "to (iu imi wa) nan desu ka" is preferable here.