文章

• Pinyin: wén zhāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 文 = pictograph meaning 'writing'; 章 = 音 (sound) + 十 (ten) — originally a musical section, later meaning 'chapter' or 'composition'

Meaning

Article; essay; written piece. A piece of writing on a particular subject.

The most common general term for a written article or essay. Used for newspaper articles, blog posts, academic papers, and compositions. Can also figuratively mean 'something worth examining' in the phrase 做文章 (to make an issue of something).

Examples

1. 他在报纸上发表了一篇文章。 He published an article in the newspaper.
2. 老师让我们写一篇关于环保的文章。 The teacher asked us to write an essay about environmental protection.
3. 这篇文章写得很好，值得一读。 This article is very well written and worth reading.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, academic, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我看了一篇很有意思的文章。(I read a very interesting article.)
• 请把你的文章交给老师。(Please hand in your essay to the teacher.)

Don't Say

• 我写了一本文章。(The measure word for 文章 is 篇, not 本. Say 一篇文章. 本 is for books.)

Origin & History

文 means 'writing' and 章 means 'section' or 'chapter'. Together they refer to a structured piece of writing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal