文学
bungaku[bɯ̟̃ŋɡa̠kɯ̟]
The English word 'literature' is translated into Japanese as 文学 (bungaku). Wiktionary also lists 文献 (bunken).
Meaning: body of all written works (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 文学 | bungaku | [bɯ̟̃ŋɡa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 文献 | bunken | [bɯ̟̃ŋkẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
文学 (bungaku) is used to refer to the art of literature, such as novels, poetry and other creative written works.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 文学 is composed of 文, meaning writing or text and 学, meaning study, learning or science.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between 文学 and 文献. While 文学 refers to the art of literature (creative works like novels and poetry), 文献 (bunken) refers to literature in the sense of academic references, documents or historical sources.
How do you pronounce it?
bungaku
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 文 (bun) can refer to a 'sentence', but in classical contexts it also refers to the refined civilization of ancient China, which shaped how the Japanese viewed 'literature'.
- The term 文豪 (bungo) is reserved for a 'great writer' and is rarely used for contemporary authors unless they have reached a legendary status akin to Natsume Soseki.
- Japanese has a specific term 純文学 (pure literature) to distinguish high-art novels from 大衆文学 (popular literature) or genre fiction.
Examples in context
- 彼は英文学の大家だ。He is a master of English literature.This sentence shows how to use 文学 when referring to a master of a specific type of literature.Tatoeba #109617 by KK_kaku_, translation #294073 by mamat
- 彼は英文学に明るい。He is well read in English literature.This sentence demonstrates using 文学 to describe someone who is well read in a subject.Tatoeba #2231525 by tommy_san, translation #288981 by CK
- トムは日本文学の研究者だ。Tom is a Japanese literature researcher.This sentence shows how to use 文学 to describe a researcher of a specific field of literature.Tatoeba #2706912 by tommy_san, translation #7679218 by Yanahma
- 私は文学が大好きです。I love literature.
- 彼と文学の話をするのが好きです。I enjoy talking to him about literature.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking at a university library.
- 結衣 Yui文学の授業を受ける予定はある？bungaku no jugyō o ukeru yotei wa aru?Do you plan to take a literature class?
- 蓮 Renうん、来学期から文学を専攻するつもりだよ。un, raigakki kara bungaku o senkō suru tsumori da yo.Yes, I intend to major in literature starting next semester.
- 結衣 Yui素敵な選択だね、蓮君。suteki na sentaku da ne, Ren-kun.That is a wonderful choice, Ren.
- 蓮 Renありがとう、結衣。本を読むのが好きだから。arigatō, Yui. hon o yomu no ga suki dakara.Thank you, Yui. Because I love reading books.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “literature” translations and entries 文学, 文献, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
