N1 Scope, Range, and Extent

~という: meaning, usage and examples

~という means: all... / every single...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 連休中れんきゅうじゅうは、道みちという道みちが渋滞じゅうたいしていた。

   During the long holiday weekend, every single road was congested.

2. 家いえという家いえが、地震じしんで被害ひがいを受うけた。

   Every single house was damaged by the earthquake.

3. 窓まどという窓まどを開あけて、部屋へやの空気くうきを入いれ替かえた。

   I opened every single window to air out the rooms.

4. 大雪おおゆきのため、駅前えきまえの店みせという店みせがシャッターを下おろしていた。

   Because of the heavy snow, every single store near the station had its shutters down.

When to use it

Repeats a noun around という to mean every single one, without exception. Example: 窓まどという窓まどが割われていた (every single window was broken). It is used for strong descriptions of scenes: all roads jammed, all houses damaged, every shop closed. The noun is usually concrete and countable.

Nuance

Written and emphatic, common in news and narration. It stresses the shocking or overwhelming scale of a situation, often a negative one. The main clause is a description of a fact, not a request or plan. Only one noun is repeated; do not use different nouns.

Compare

NというN means all of them, with emphasis: 店みせという店みせが閉しまっていた. すべての is the neutral version: すべての店みせが閉しまっていた. Do not confuse it with という naming: 田中たなかという人ひと (a person called Tanaka), or with といった listing examples: 東京とうきょうや大阪おおさかといった都市とし.

Tip: Spot the pattern by the same noun on both sides: 家いえという家いえ, 道みちという道みち, 窓まどという窓まど. Translate it as every single.