～というか

About

The 〜というか pattern is a combination of the quote marker と, the verb 言いう, and the question particle か. Two instances of 〜というか in a sentence can be used when the speaker isn't sure how to accurately describe a situation/a thing/a person/etc, but one usage of 〜というか in a sentence is used to clarify that "Rather than X, (something is) Y".

〜というか can attach to verbs, い・な-adjectives, and nouns.

E.g. -30度どを下回したまわると、寒さむいというか痛いたい。 "When it goes below -30, more than feeling cold, it hurts."

E.g. みたらし団子だんごは好すきというか、ないと生いきていけない...。 "As for mitarashi dango, I don't just like it, rather, I can't live without it..."

E.g. この辺あたりは賑にぎやかというか、うるさい。 "This area is lively, or rather, noisy."

Summary

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  When it appears once in a sentence, 〜というか is used to clarify that "Rather than X, (something) is Y"