Japanese word

文語

Pronunciation

Romajibungo

Meaning

  • nounliterary language

Example

授業で文語を学びます。ju gyō de bun go o mana bi ma su

I study literary language in class.

Illustration for 文語 (literary language)

More examples

この作品は、文語で書かれているため、少し硬く感じます。ko no saku hin wa bun go de ka ka re te i ru ta me suko shi kata ku kan ji ma su

Because this work is written in literary language, it feels a little formal.

Core concept

It marks a written style whose wording and grammar can differ from everyday speech.

Common phrases

  • 文語を読むbun go o yo mu

    read literary language

  • 文語を学ぶbun go o mana bu

    study literary language

  • 文語で書くbun go de ka ku

    write in literary language

Similar words

文語体bungotai: A written style that uses forms and expressions associated with literary language.

Definition in Japanese

文章に用いられ、日常の話し言葉とは表現や文法が異なる言葉。bun shō ni mochi i ra re nichi jō no hana shi koto ba to wa hyō gen ya bun pō ga koto na ru koto ba

Word origin

文語 (bungo) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 文 (bun, "writing or literature") and 語 (go, "language or word"), naming language associated with writing.

Usage tips

  • Japanese grammar books use 文語 (bungo) for the language of classical texts, where forms may differ from those found in modern conversational Japanese.

Other meanings

  • written languagenoun

Opposites

  • 口語kōgospoken languagenoun

Related words

  • 文語体bungotailiterary stylenoun
  • 文語的bungotekiliteraryna-adjective
  • 文語調bungochōliterary stylenoun

Word lists with this word