Japanese word

文学

Pronunciation

Romajibungaku

Meaning

  • nounliterature

Example

私は文学が好きです。watashi wa bun gaku ga su ki de su

I like literature.

Illustration for 文学 (literature)

More examples

最近、文学を読む時間が増えました。sai kin bun gaku o yo mu ji kan ga fu e ma shi ta

Recently, I have been spending more time reading literature.

Core concept

Covers written works that use language to express ideas, experiences, or imagination in an artistic or culturally valued form.

Common phrases

  • 文学作品bun gaku saku hin

    literary work

  • 文学を読むbun gaku o yo mu

    read literature

  • 日本文学nihon bun gaku

    Japanese literature

Similar words

文芸bungei: Written art and related literary activities within a culture.

Definition in Japanese

言葉で思想や感情、想像などを表現した芸術的な文章や作品。koto ba de shi sō ya kan jō sō zō na do o hyō gen shi ta gei jutsu teki na bun shō ya saku hin

Word origin

文学 (bungaku, "literature") is a Sino-Japanese compound of 文 (bun, "writing") and 学 (gaku, "study"), naming literature as a learned field concerned with written works.

Usage tips

  • In everyday English, books are often more natural for ordinary reading, while literature often suggests works valued as art or a field of study.

Related words

  • 文学者bungakushaliterary scholarnoun
  • 文学的bungakutekiliteraryna-adjective
  • 文学性bungakuseiliterary qualitynoun

Word lists with this word