GrammarJLPT N5
→ such
This Kind of / Such (Referring to Something Close or Just Mentioned)
JLPT N5Fixed phraseNeutral
こういう is a pre-noun adjectival phrase meaning "this kind of" or "this sort of," used to modify a noun by categorizing it as a type or variety of something. It is formed from こう ("in this way") + いう ("to say/to be called"), literally something like "called like this" or "of this nature." こういう belongs to the こそあど demonstrative system: こういう refers to something near the speaker or something just introduced in conversation, そういう refers to something near the listener or previously mentioned, ああいう refers to something distant from both, and どういう is the question form ("what kind of"). こういう is very close in meaning to こんな, but こういう tends to feel slightly more explanatory or categorical — it highlights the "type" or "nature" of something rather than just pointing at it. It is common in both spoken and written Japanese and carries a neutral register.
Examples
Example #1
私はこういう料理が好きです。
Here こういう modifies 料理 (food/cooking) to express "this kind of food," referring to food that is present or has just been shown or tasted. The speaker is categorizing the food as a type and expressing a preference for that entire category, not just the single dish in front of them.I like this kind of food.
Structures
- Modifying a noun
- こういう + Noun
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing こういう with こんな. While they overlap significantly, こういう emphasizes the category or type, whereas こんな can feel more immediate or emotional (e.g., こんなにおいしい carries an exclamatory nuance that こういう does not). Another error is using こういう when そういう is more appropriate — if referring to something the listener just said or something not directly near the speaker, そういう should be used instead. Learners also sometimes mistakenly write こうゆう; while this reflects casual pronunciation, the standard written form is こういう. Finally, some learners try to conjugate こういう like a verb (e.g., adding ます), but it functions as a fixed modifier and should always be followed directly by a noun.
Related
そういうああいうどういうこんなこのこういった