► 動詞
言う [(2)いう] [と言う] meaning: call rank: 1
☆ 人生と言うのは分からないものだ ⇨ What’s called life is unknown. You never know what life brings
☆ 山田工業と言う会社は聞いた事がない ⇨ I’ve never heard a company called Yamada Industry
言う [(2)いう] meaning: say rank: 1
☆ 何が言いたいんだ？ ⇨ What are you trying to say?
☆ 彼は何も言わなかった ⇨ He didn’t say anything
言う [(2)いう] [と言われる] meaning: say rank: 1
☆ 彼は史上最高のサッカー選手と言われる ⇨ It is said he is the best footballer in the history
言う [(2)いう] [coll] meaning: sound rank: 1
☆ この戸はギーギー言う。この荷台はガタガタ言う ⇨ This door squeaks. This cart rattles (☛ Makes certain noise. Always accompanied by an adverb that describes the specific noise)
言う [(2)いう] meaning: tell rank: 1
☆ 人に言えない悩み ⇨ A problem you cannot tell others
► 成句
言う [(2)いう] [と言うことは] [coll] meaning: mean rank: 2
☆ と言うことは試合は延期になるということですか？ ⇨ Does that mean the game will be postponed? (☛ In response to some statement. Always followed by a question to verify the original statement)
言う [(2)いう] [言う迄もない] meaning: needless to say rank: 2
☆ ～であることは言う迄もありません ⇨ It is needless to say …
☆ それは言う迄もない ⇨ That goes without saying
言う [(2)いう] [言う事を聞く] meaning: obey rank: 2
☆ うちの子供は言う事を聞かない ⇨ My kid doesn’t listen to, obey, me
☆ 車のブレーキが突然言う事を聞かなくなった ⇨ My car brakes suddenly stopped listening to me, they stopped working
言う [(2)いう] [～と言う～] meaning: all rank: 3
☆ 専門家と言う専門家全てに聞いたが、皆違う事を言う ⇨ I asked everybody who is called an expert, but they all say different things
言う [(2)いう] [と言う] meaning: approximate rank: 3
☆ 第二次大戦で何千万人と言う人が死んだ ⇨ Some ten million people died in WW2 (☛ Follows a large number for rough approximation)
言う [(2)いう] [そうは言っても] [coll] meaning: even if so rank: 3
☆ そうは言ってもこのまま何もしないわけにもいかないだろう ⇨ Even if you say so, we can’t just not do anything about it
言う [(2)いう] [言わんとする] meaning: mean rank: 3
☆ あなたが言わんとすることは分からないでもないが… ⇨ Even though I kind of understand what you’re trying to say …
言う [(2)いう] [～と言う～] meaning: very rank: 3
☆ 今度と言う今度は許さない ⇨ This time after all this time, I won’t forgive him (☛ Used for time/date word to emphasis the occasion)
☆ 今日と言う今日は決着を付けよう ⇨ Let’s settle this once and for all this very day (☛ Used for time/date word to emphasis the occasion)
言う [(2)いう] meaning: warn rank: 3
☆ だから言わんこっちゃない ⇨ That’s why I warned. I told you/him/her/them so (☛ A common phrase. An abbreviation of 言わない事ではない. )
言う [(2)いう] [言うなれば] [liter] meaning: so to speak rank: 4
☆ それは言うなれば～のようなものだ ⇨ That is kind of like …, so to speak
► 接続詞
言う [(2)いう] [だからと言って] [coll] meaning: even if so rank: 2
☆ あいつが先に俺を侮辱したんだ。だからと言って殴っていいわけじゃないだろう ⇨ He insulted me first. Even if that’s the case you cannot just punch him
More examples:
- 滅茶苦茶なことを言うな！ ⇨ Stop bullshitting!
- 白々しいお世辞を言うな ⇨ Don’t say obvious and insincere flattery
- 馬鹿なこと言うな！ ⇨ Don’t talk nonsense!
- 何を根拠にそんなことを言うんですか？ ⇨ On what grounds are you saying something like that?
- この事は誰にも言うなと口止めされた ⇨ I was told not to tell anybody about this
- 今から言う事をよく聞けよ ⇨ Listen carefully to the things that I am about to tell you
- 最近体が言う事を聞かない ⇨ Lately my body doesn’t listen to what I tell it to do, it doesn’t work the way I want it to
- 文句を言うんじゃない！ ⇨ Don’t complain!
- あっと言う間に一年が過ぎた ⇨ A year has passed while you say “oh”, in the blink of an eye, very quickly
- あいつの言うことを本気にしちゃ駄目だよ ⇨ Don’t take what he said seriously
- 何ていやらしい事を言うの！ ⇨ What a nasty thing to say!
- 皆が楽しんでいる時に水を差すようなことを言うな ⇨ Don’t say things that throw cold water when everybody is having a good time
- 彼女は人の悪口を言うのが好きだ ⇨ She likes to badmouth others
- お前先輩の言うことが聞けないのか？ぶっ殺すぞ ⇨ Are you fucking disobeying my order as your senior? I am gonna fucking kill you
- 私には文句を言うれっきとした理由がある ⇨ I have a legitimate reason to complain