JLPT N2Writing and careful speechComparing

いわばso to speak; as it were

いわば warns that the next words are a figure of speech: a comparison or a loose label, not the literal fact. "So to speak", "as it were".

玄げん関かんは、いわば家いえの顔かおだ。

The entrance is, so to speak, the face of a house.

この町まちは、私わたしにとっていわば第だい二にの故こ郷きょうです。

This town is a second home to me, so to speak.

How to form it

A は、いわば B だ

いわば goes straight before the comparison, where English often puts "so to speak" after it. B is usually a noun, often with のようなものだ, "something like". Also written 言いわば.

Tone: Thoughtful: someone choosing their words as they explain.
Where you'll meet it: Essays, columns, speeches, interviews, explanations. In everyday talk people often say 言いってみれば instead.

In use

外がい国こく語ごを学まなぶ人ひとにとって、辞じ書しょはいわば地ち図ずのようなものだ。

For anyone learning a foreign language, a dictionary is, so to speak, something like a map.

彼かれはいわばチームの頭ず脳のうだ。

He is, as it were, the brains of the team.

an acceptance speech

この賞しょうは、私わたしにとっていわばスタートラインです。

For me this prize is, so to speak, a starting line.

うちの犬いぬは、言いってみれば家か族ぞくみたいなものだよ。

Our dog is, you might say, pretty much one of the family.

Among friends: 言いってみれば, with みたいなもの for のようなもの.

いわば or いわゆる?

They look alike, and both come from 言いう, "to say". いわゆる is "what is called": the name is one people already use. いわば is "if I were to call it something": you are offering a comparison, and it isn't literally so.

夜よるは眠ねむれないし、昼ひる間まは眠ねむい。いわゆる時じ差さぼけだ。

I can't sleep at night and I'm sleepy during the day. It's what they call jet lag.

You flew home from abroad three days ago. It is jet lag, and that is its usual name.

夜よるは眠ねむれないし、昼ひる間まは眠ねむい。いわば時じ差さぼけだ。

I can't sleep at night and I'm sleepy during the day. It's jet lag, so to speak.

You have just come off a week of night shifts. It isn't jet lag: you are saying what it feels like.

Close neighbours

いわゆるN2

"What is known as": before a label people already use.

その症しょう状じょうは、いわゆる五ご月がつ病びょうに近ちかい。

Those symptoms are close to what people call the "May blues".

まるで～ようだN3

"Just like": it stresses how close the likeness is. いわば only flags the words as a figure of speech.

その湖みずうみは、まるで鏡かがみのようだ。

That lake is just like a mirror.

つまりN3

"In other words": the same thing said another way, and meant literally. After いわば comes an image.

店みせは土ど曜よう日びと日にち曜よう日びだけ営えい業ぎょうしている。つまり、平へい日じつは休やすみだ。

The store is open only on Saturdays and Sundays. In other words, it is closed on weekdays.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

祖そ母ぼにとって、庭にわは（　　）子こどものようなものだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

明日あしたは祝しゅく日じつだ。（　　）、学がっ校こうは休やすみだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

インターネットは、いわば現げん代だいの図と書しょ館かんだ。

The internet is, so to speak, the library of our age.

彼かの女じょは、いわば社しゃ長ちょうの右みぎ腕うでだ。

She is, so to speak, the president's right hand.

そんな言いい方かたをするのは、いわば火ひに油あぶらを注そそぐようなものだ。

Putting it like that is, so to speak, like pouring oil on a fire.

A whole clause can come before ようなものだ.