分厚い

• Reading: ぶあつい
• Romaji: buatsui
• Kanji breakdown: 分 (bu) — intensifier prefix; 厚い (atsui) — thick
• Pronunciation: /bɯätsɯi/

Meaning

Thick; bulky; hefty. Describes something with considerable physical thickness or substance.

An i-adjective used to describe the physical bulk of objects such as books, clothing, walls, or documents. 分厚い本 (a thick book) and 分厚いコート (a heavy coat) are typical uses. It can also extend metaphorically to describe substance or depth — a 分厚い支持層 (a deep base of support).

Examples

1. 分厚い辞典を最初から最後まで読み通した学者がいると聞いた。 I heard there was a scholar who read a thick dictionary cover to cover.
2. 分厚いコートを着込んでも、冬の朝の寒さが骨身に染みた。 Even bundled up in a heavy coat, the cold of a winter morning still chilled me to the bone.
3. 弁護士は分厚い書類の束をテーブルにどさりと置いた。 The lawyer dropped a hefty stack of documents onto the table with a thud.

Usage Guide

Context: objects, books, clothing, documents

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Combination of 分 (part, portion; here a prefix intensifier) and 厚い (thick, deep). The 分 prefix adds a sense of considerable degree — notably thick rather than just thick. Similar intensifier use appears in 分重い (notably heavy).

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal