How do you say "to say" in Japanese?

言う

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to say" is 言う (iu).

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Pronunciation

言う is written using kanji. Romanised as iu, it sounds roughly like "ee-oo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 言 depicts a mouth speaking or language flowing out. One of the most common kanji, appearing in many words about communication.

Example sentence

子供たちは言いますのが楽しそうです。

Kodomotachi wa iimasu no ga tanoshisou desu.

The children seem to enjoy saying.

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How to remember 言う

A mouth opening to speak. The kanji itself looks like a mouth making sound and expressing words.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 言う

How do you pronounce 言う?

言う is romanised as iu. Say it roughly like "ee-oo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 言う formal or casual?

言う is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 言う written in Japanese?

言う is written using kanji. The kanji 言 depicts a mouth speaking or language flowing out.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"To say" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.

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