called, named

X という Y introduces Y by its name X: a movie called Totoro, a person called Tanaka. It is the standard way to mention names the listener may not know. It also builds expressions like という意味 (meaning) and という話 (a story that).

Examples

• 「となりのトトロ」という映画えいがを見みました。

  "Tonari no Totoro" to iu eiga o mimashita.

  I watched a movie called My Neighbor Totoro.

• 田中たなかさんという人ひとから電話でんわがありました。

  Tanaka-san to iu hito kara denwa ga arimashita.

  There was a phone call from a person called Tanaka.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 映画 movie
• 見る to see; to watch
• 人 person
• 電話 telephone
• ある to exist (inanimate); to have

Related patterns · Quotation and embedded questions

• 〜と言う to say that (quotation)
• 〜と思う to think that
• 〜かどうか whether or not
• 疑問詞＋〜か embedded question (who, what, when ... )