かと言うと ②
If you ask me..., If I had to say, If I were to say, If I were to choose one, I'd rather
Structure
Question Word + Phrase + (の(1)) + かというと(2)
(1) ん
(2) かといえば
Explanation
～かというと is a phrase with two main applications. The first is for use with words like 'why' or 'how', while the other is for 'who', 'when', 'where', 'which', and 'what'. This lesson will concentrate on the second group. かというと is formed from the case marking particle か in its use as a question marker, the case marking particle と in its citation use, the う - Verb 言う 'to say', and the case marking particle と in its result use.
Although this combination of particles may look complicated, the literal meaning is simply 'if one were to say (A)'. This is then followed by the speaker's detailed answer or reasoning in (B). This structure frequently appears with question words such as 何で, 何, どちら, 誰, and どの.
- 何で日本語の勉強を始めたかというと 、アニメが大好きだからです。If I were to say why I started studying Japanese, it is because I love anime.
- 週末に誰と会いたいかというと 、大学の時の友達と会いたい。If I were to say who I want to meet this weekend, it would be my friends from college.
- どの季節が一番好きかというと 、気候が良い秋が一番好きだと思っています。If I were to say which season I like the most, I think it would be autumn with its pleasant weather.
Because ～かというと is used to introduce a reason or explanation, the particle から ('because') will very often appear at the end of the sentence to emphasize the speaker's logic.
Caution
Just like other grammar points that convey an 'if' nuance, ば may sometimes be used in place of と. While たら is also grammatically possible, it appears far less commonly than either と or ば.
- 何で彼が怒っているかといえば、私が約束を忘れたからです。If I were to say why he is angry, well, it is because I forgot our promise.
- どの料理が一番おいしいかといったら、やっぱりラーメンです。If I were to say which dish is the most delicious, it would definitely be ramen.
Examples
甘いものと辛いもの、どちらかというと、私は辛いものの方が好きです。
Between sweet and spicy food, if I had to choose, I prefer spicy food.
先生：「コーヒーと紅茶、どっちがいい？」
学生：「うーん、どっちかっていうと、コーヒーをお願いします。」
Teacher: 'Which would you like, coffee or tea?'
Student: 'Hmm, if I had to say, I'll have coffee, please.'
アキさん：「最近、彼がよく話している子がいるんだ。」
ユキさん：「誰のことかっていうと、きっと隣のクラスの田中さんだよ。」
Aki: 'There's a girl he's been talking about a lot recently.'
Yuki: 'If you're asking me who, it's definitely Tanaka-san from the next class.'
母：「テスト、どうだった？」
息子：「どれくらい難しかったかというと、全然手がつけられなかったほどだよ。」
Mom: 'How was the test?'
Son: 'If you're asking me how difficult it was, it was so hard I couldn't even attempt the questions.'
私がなぜ医者になりたいかというと、小さい頃に病気だった私を助けてくれた先生に憧れたからです。
If you ask me why I want to become a doctor, it's because I admired the doctor who helped me when I was sick as a child.
このプロジェクトで最も重要なのは何かというと、それはチームワークとコミュニケーションです。
If I were to say what is most important in this project, it would be teamwork and communication.
ユミさん：「週末、映画でも見に行かない？」
ケンジさん：「いいね。でも、どちらかっていうと、アクションよりコメディーが見たいな。」
Yumi: 'Want to go see a movie or something this weekend?'
Kenji: 'Sounds good. But if I had to choose, I'd rather see a comedy than an action movie.'
誕生日に何がほしいかっていうと...うーん、特に思いつかないなあ...
If I had to say what I want for my birthday... hmm, I can't really think of anything specific...
もし宝くじで一億円当たったら何をするかといえば、まず世界一周の旅に出るだろう。
If you were to ask me what I would do if I won 100 million yen in the lottery, I would probably first set off on a trip around the world.
サキさん：「いつからこの町が好きになったの？」
リクさん：「いつかというと、初めて夏祭りに参加した時じゃないかな。」
Saki: 'Since when did you start to like this town?'
Riku: 'If I had to pinpoint when, it was probably when I participated in the summer festival for the first time.'
どんな店なのかというと、見た目は古いけど、料理は絶品の隠れ家レストランです。
If I were to describe what kind of shop it is, it's a hidden gem of a restaurant that looks old but serves exquisite food.
どうやって彼が成功したかというと、毎日の地道な努力を決して怠らなかったからだ。
If you ask how he succeeded, it's because he never neglected to put in steady, hard work every single day.