Breakdown of haru to iu kisetsu wa kion mo keshiki mo suki desu.
Questions & Answers about haru to iu kisetsu wa kion mo keshiki mo suki desu.
Yes. と いう here is basically “called / known as”.
- 春 = spring
- という = “that is called / that is known as / that we call”
- 季節 = season
So 春という季節 literally means “the season that is called spring”.
Grammatically, と is the “quotation” particle, and いう is the verb 言う (“to say / to call”). Together they form a set phrase that often means “that is called X” or “so-called X” when used between two nouns like this.
You could also say just 春は … and it would be natural, but 春という季節は … gives a slightly more explanatory, textbook-ish feeling: “As for the season called spring, …”
Both are correct, but the nuance is a little different:
春は気温も景色も好きです。
→ “As for spring, I like both the temperature and the scenery.”春という季節は気温も景色も好きです。
→ “As for the season called spring, I like both the temperature and the scenery.”
Adding という季節:
- sounds a bit more formal or explanatory
- emphasizes that we’re talking about spring as a season (not, say, a person or anything else called 春)
In everyday conversation, 春は… is more common and natural. The longer version is fine in writing, speeches, or when you’re defining or describing something more carefully.
