そういう

そういう means "that kind of" or "like that" and is used to refer to something previously mentioned, described, or understood from context. It modifies a noun directly, functioning as a demonstrative adjective that characterizes the type or nature of something.

Part of the こそあど system

そういう belongs to the こそあど demonstrative family:

• こういう – this kind of (near the speaker / what I'm about to describe)
• そういう – that kind of (what you mentioned / what was just discussed)
• ああいう – that kind of (something both speaker and listener know about, distant)
• どういう – what kind of (question)

Referring back to something mentioned

The most common use of そういう is to refer back to something the other person said or something already established in the conversation.

そういうこと – "So that's how it is"

The phrase そういうことか or そういうことね is used to express understanding or realization – similar to "Oh, so that's what you mean" or "I see, that's the situation."

Expressing attitudes or generalizations

そういう can also be used to characterize a type of person, thing, or situation in a general way.

Casual variant: そうゆう / そーゆー

In very casual speech and writing, そういう is sometimes spelled or pronounced as そうゆう or そーゆー. These are informal variants of the same expression.