文を綴る

Japanese JLPT N1 Vocabulary Japanese ★★ 2/5 formal ぶんをつづるbun wo tsuzuru
Reading ぶんをつづる
Romaji bun wo tsuzuru
Kanji breakdown 文 (bun/fumi) — text, sentence, writing; 綴 (tsuzuri/toji) — compose, string together, stitch
Pronunciation /bɯn.o.tsɯ.zɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To compose a text; to write prose; to string words together into a written piece.

The verb 綴る (tsuzuru) means to connect or string together, and in literary contexts it means to compose by carefully joining words and sentences. 文を綴る emphasises the craft and intentionality of writing — not merely jotting notes but thoughtfully constructing prose. It can apply to letters, essays, memoirs, or any piece of sustained writing, and carries an air of earnestness or artistic care.

Examples

  1. 退職後に半生を振り返り、家族への感謝の文を綴った。 After retiring, he looked back over the first half of his life and composed a piece expressing his gratitude to his family.
  2. 巧みに文を綴る力は、一朝一夕には身につかないものだ。 The ability to craft prose with skill is not something acquired overnight.
  3. 震える手で最後の文を綴り終えた老作家の顔に、安堵の表情が浮かんだ。 A look of relief spread across the face of the elderly author as, with trembling hands, he finished writing the final lines.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, letter writing, memoir, essay writing

Tone: earnest

Origin & History

Combines 文 (bun/fumi, text/writing/sentence) with 綴る (tsuzuru, to string together, to compose). The character 綴 depicts thread (糸) being joined, evoking the act of stitching words together into a coherent whole.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated

Related Phrases

仮名 Kana; the Japanese phonetic syllabary comprising hiragana and katakana, developed from simplified Chinese characters. 侘び寂び Wabi-sabi; a Japanese aesthetic that finds beauty in imperfection, incompleteness, and transience. An appreciation for the humble, weathered, and irregular. 俳句 Haiku; a traditional Japanese poem of 17 syllables in three lines (5-7-5), typically evoking nature, a season, and a single vivid moment. 入門 Introduction; a primer or entry into a field of study. Also: the formal act of becoming a disciple under a master in a traditional art. 和歌 Waka; traditional Japanese poetry, particularly the tanka form with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure. The classical poetic tradition of Japan as distinguished from Chinese verse. 和紙 Washi; traditional handmade Japanese paper crafted from plant fibres such as kozo (mulberry). A material central to Japanese literary, artistic, and cultural heritage. 四字熟語 A four-character idiom; a compound of four kanji forming a fixed idiomatic expression, often of Chinese origin. Known in English as yojijukugo. 常用漢字 Jōyō kanji; the official list of commonly used Chinese characters in contemporary Japanese.
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