Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 作家 | sakka | [sa̠k̚ka̠] (narrow) |
| 著者 | chosha | [t͡ɕo̞ɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 筆者 | hissha | [çiɕːa̠] (narrow) |
The term for 'writer' in Japanese depends heavily on the context of the writing and whether you are referring to a profession, a specific book's creator or yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 作家 is composed of 作 (to make/create) and 家 (specialist/professional/house). The term 著者 is composed of 著 (to publish/to be visible) and 者 (person). The term 筆者 is composed of 筆 (brush/writing instrument) and 者 (person).
Which one should you use?
作家 is used to refer to someone whose profession or identity is being a writer (e.g., a novelist). In contrast, 著者 is used to identify the person who wrote a specific book or publication, often in a more technical or bibliographic sense. Finally, 筆者 is a formal way for a writer to refer to themselves in the third person within their own text (e.g., 'The author believes…').
How do you pronounce it?
sakka
Did you know?
- In Japanese, you can add the suffix 家 to many professions, like 漫画家 (manga artist) or 作曲家 (composer), to denote a specialist. This same character, which means 'house', functions as a marker for a master of a specific craft.
- When using 筆者 to refer to themselves in a text, a Japanese writer is employing a form of linguistic modesty by distancing their ego from the prose.
- The kanji 著 in 著者 means 'to be visible' or 'to be conspicuous'. It suggests that a writer is someone whose work has been made public and 'visible' to the world.
Examples in context
- 彼は作家です。He is a writer.This sentence uses 作家 to state someone's profession.Tatoeba #106830 by bunbuku, translation #593249 by CK
- 彼は作家でもある。He's a writer, too.This sentence uses 作家 to indicate someone is also a writer.Tatoeba #4280659 by small_snow, translation #4128342 by AlanF_US
- 好きな作家は誰ですか？Who's your favorite writer?This sentence uses 作家 to ask about a favorite writer.Tatoeba #233311 by tommy_san, translation #908757 by CK
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their dreams for the future.
- 大翔 Hiroto将来、作家になりたいんだ。Shourai, sakka ni naritai nda.I want to be a writer in the future.
- 陽葵 Himariすごい！どんな本を書きたいの？Sugoi! Donna hon o kakitai no?That's amazing! What kind of books do you want to write?
- 大翔 Hirotoミステリー小説を書く作家になりたい。Misuterii shousetsu o kaku sakka ni naritai.I want to be a writer who writes mystery novels.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔なら、いい話が書けそうだね。Hiroto nara, ii hanashi ga kakesou da ne.If it's you, Hiroto, I bet you could write a great story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “writer” translations and entries 作家, 著者, 筆者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
