で言うと
In, Of, According to
Structure
Explanation
でいうと is a useful Japanese phrase for drawing a comparison or creating an analogy between two different things. It is formed by the particle で, which indicates a specific context or field, and 言うと, which means 'if one says' or 'speaking of'.
This pattern typically follows a noun and can be thought of as 'in terms of (A), (B)' or 'if we're talking about (A), then (B)'.
- あの猫は人間で言うと赤ちゃんみたいなものだ。In human terms, that cat is basically a baby.
- アメリカで言うとサンクスギビングみたいな感じ？In America, would it be something like Thanksgiving?
- 一言で言うと、その映画はとてもつまらなかった。To put it simply, that movie was incredibly boring.
でいうと is frequently paired with に当たる, meaning 'to correspond to' or 'to be equivalent to', to clearly state that one thing is the direct counterpart of another.
- 「Cheers」は日本語でいうと、「ありがとう」や「おつかれさま」に当たる。In Japanese, 'Cheers' corresponds to phrases like 'arigatou' or 'otsukaresama'.
- 学校の教科でいうと数学に当たる。In terms of school subjects, it would be the equivalent of mathematics.
Fun Fact
The phrase 一言で言うと is a fixed expression used to mean 'in short', 'to put it simply', or 'in a nutshell'.
- 一言で言うと、この仕事はもう辞めたい。In a nutshell, I want to quit this job already.
Examples
この犬は２歳ですが、人で言うと２４歳ぐらいです。
This dog is two years old, which is about 24 in human years.
一言で言うと、その映画はとても感動的でした。
In short, the movie was very moving.
１０ドルは日本円で言うと、だいたい１５００円くらいだね。
Ten dollars is about 1500 yen in Japanese currency.
「頑張れ」は英語で言うとなんて言うの？
How do you say '頑張れ' in English?
プロジェクトマネージャーは、船で言うと船長のような役割です。
A project manager's role is like that of a captain on a ship.
アンケートの結果で言うと、９割の人がこの商品に満足している。
According to the survey results, 90% of people are satisfied with this product.
１０キロはマイルで言うと、約６.２マイルです。
10 kilometers is about 6.2 in miles.
簡単な言葉で言うと、彼は私をだましたんだ。
To put it simply, he deceived me.
日本のお正月は、アメリカで言うとクリスマスのようなものです。
The Japanese New Year is kind of like Christmas in America.
CPUは、人間で言うと脳に相当する部分です。
The CPU is the part that corresponds to the brain in a human.
昭和６４年は、西暦で言うと１９８９年です。
The 64th year of Showa is 1989 on the Western calendar.
別の言い方で言うと、このプランはリスクが高すぎる。
To put it another way, this plan is too risky.
医学的な観点で言うと、その治療法は推奨できません。
From a medical standpoint, that treatment method cannot be recommended.