小説

• 読み: しょうせつ
• ローマ字: shousetsu
• 漢字の分解: 小 (shō/chii) — small; 説 (setsu/to) — theory, explanation
• 発音: /ɕoː.se.tsɯ/

意味

A novel; a work of fiction. A written literary work of narrative prose.

Covers all types of fiction novels including 長編小説 (long novels), 短編小説 (short stories), and 推理小説 (mystery novels). Japan has a rich literary tradition, and reading novels is a popular pastime. The word is also used in the compound 小説家 (novelist).

例文

1. 毎晩、寝る前に小説を読みます。
2. この小説は映画にもなりました。
3. 将来、小説家になりたいです。

使い方ガイド

場面: literature, entertainment, hobbies

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From Chinese 小説 (xiǎoshuō), originally meaning 'minor talk' or 'trivial tales.' The meaning evolved to refer to prose fiction, particularly novels.

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal