寓話

• Reading: ぐうわ
• Romaji: guuwa
• Kanji breakdown: 寓 (guu) — lodge within, entrust; 話 (wa) — story, tale, speech
• Pronunciation: /ɡɯː.wa/

Meaning

Fable; allegory; parable; a short narrative that uses fictional characters or events to convey a moral lesson or deeper truth.

A noun for a narrative genre in which animals, objects, or fantastical beings act out a story whose purpose is to illustrate a moral, social, or philosophical lesson. Aesop's Fables (イソップ寓話) are the most internationally recognised examples. In Japanese literary and educational contexts, 寓話 may also describe allegorical works that encode social or political criticism within an apparently innocent story — particularly relevant to literature produced under censorship.

Examples

1. イソップ寓話は数千年を経てもなお、道徳的な教訓を伝え続けている。 Aesop's Fables continue to convey moral lessons even after thousands of years.
2. この短編集には、現代社会の矛盾を皮肉った寓話が収められている。 This short story collection contains fables that satirize the contradictions of modern society.
3. 子どもは寓話を通じて、善悪や公正といった価値観を自然に学ぶ。 Through fables, children naturally learn values such as right and wrong and fairness.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, education, ethics, literary criticism

Tone: literary

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 寓 means 'to lodge within, to entrust a meaning' and 話 means 'story, tale, speech'. Together they describe a story that lodges a meaning within itself — a narrative vehicle for hidden moral content.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal