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Grammar detail: と言えば(といえば)

と言えば(といえば)  speaking of, on the subject of
65 words
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noun
+
えば
means
speaking of ~, on the subject of ~
きょうと
京都
えば
きんかくじ
金閣寺
った
ことあります
Speaking of Kyoto, have you ever visited the Kinkakuji Temple?
ジョン
えば
かれ
いもうと
どうなった
Talking of John, what has become of his sister?
This form is simply the ば conditional form of 言う, so it literally means 'if we speak of ~'. In modern Japanese, it is more common to see the kana form といえば.
10
ねん
いえば
そうとう
相当
じかん
時間

Ten years is a long time.
といえば commonly appears as part of the expression どちらかといえば which is used to indicate a preference:
どちらいえば
もくぞう
木造
じゅうたく
住宅
みたい

I'd rather live in a wooden house.
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Kanji used in this grammar

ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
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キョウ   ケイ    capital   
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ト   ツ   みやこ capital city, metropolis   
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キン   コン   かね gold; money   
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カク    tower   
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ジ   temple   てら Buddhist temple   
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コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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マイ   いもうと younger sister   
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ネン   とし year   
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ソウ   ショウ    minister   あい- mutual   
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トウ   あてる    あたる to hit   
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ジ   とき time, occasion   
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カン   ケン   あいだ interval, between   ま space, room   
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モク   ボク   き    こ- tree   
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ゾウ   つく to build, to produce   
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ジュウ   す to live, to dwell   すまう to live (concept)   
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タク    home   
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