Japanese word

抽象

Pronunciation

Romajichūshō

Meaning

  • nounabstraction

Example

この絵は抽象の世界を描いています。ko no e wa chū shō no se kai o ega i te i ma su

This painting depicts the world of abstraction.

Illustration for 抽象 (abstraction)

More examples

議論では、抽象と具体例を行き来することが大切です。gi ron de wa chū shō to gu tai rei o i ki ki su ru ko to ga tai setsu de su

In a discussion, it is important to move back and forth between abstraction and concrete examples.

Core concept

It treats concrete things as starting points and presents the ideas or essential qualities behind them.

Common phrases

  • 抽象の世界chū shō no se kai

    world of abstraction

  • 抽象を扱うchū shō o atsuka u

    deal with abstraction

  • 具体から抽象へ進むgu tai ka ra chū shō e susu mu

    move from concrete examples to abstraction

Similar words

抽象化chūshōka: The act of removing concrete details to present a general idea or essential quality.
一般化ippanka: The process of forming a broader idea from specific examples or details.

Definition in Japanese

目に見える個別の形や事物を離れ、共通する概念や本質として捉え、表現すること。me ni mi e ru ko betsu no katachi ya ji butsu o hana re kyō tsū su ru gai nen ya hon shitsu to shi te tora e hyō gen su ru ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 抽象 (chūshō) combines 抽 (chū, "draw out") with 象 (shō, "form or image"), describing the drawing out of an essential form.

Usage tips

  • In discussions of art, 抽象 (chūshō) can describe not only nonrealistic images but also the process of reducing visible details to essential qualities.

Opposites

  • 具体gutaiconcretenessnoun

Related words

  • 抽象化chūshōkaabstractionnoun
  • 抽象的chūshōtekiabstractna-adjective
  • 抽象性chūshōseiabstractnessnoun

Word lists with this word