Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "言います" vs "うる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
言います
いいます (iimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
うる
うる (uru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 言います and うる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
言います (いいます (iimasu)) represents "to say, to tell" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 言う.
On the other hand, うる (うる (uru)) translates to "to sell" (Level: N5) and is used for Transitive verb meaning 'to sell'. Used for commercial transactions. The opposite is 買う. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "言います"
先生にありがとうと言います。
I say thank you to the teacher.
Bilingual Sentence for "うる"
この店は色々なパンを売っています。
This shop sells various kinds of bread.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "先生にありがとうと ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I say thank you to the teacher.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "言います" fits here because it represents "to say, to tell" in the context: "I say thank you to the teacher.".