書簡

• 読み: しょかん
• ローマ字: shokan
• 漢字の分解: 書 (sho) — write, document; 簡 (kan) — letter, tablet
• 発音: /ɕo.ka.ɴ/

意味

Letter; epistle; correspondence; a written communication sent from one person to another.

A formal or literary term for a personal letter, more elevated than 手紙 (tegami). In literary studies, the collected 書簡 of major authors are invaluable for understanding their inner life, relationships, and creative process. The 書簡体小説 (epistolary novel) uses letters as its narrative form.

例文

1. 夏目漱石の書簡は、彼の内面や人間関係を知る上で貴重な資料である。
2. 戦地にいる夫から届いた書簡を、妻は何度も繰り返し読んだ。
3. 二人の詩人が交わした書簡が、後に一冊の本として出版された。

使い方ガイド

場面: classical literature, history, epistolary fiction

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

A Sino-Japanese compound combining 書 (sho, writing/document) and 簡 (kan, letter/tablet). Originally 簡 referred to wooden or bamboo slips used for writing in ancient China; the combination came to mean a written letter or correspondence.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Educated