一節

• Reading: いっせつ
• Romaji: issetsu
• Kanji breakdown: 一 (ichi) — one | 節 (setsu) — section, verse, joint
• Pronunciation: /is.se.tsɯ/

Meaning

Passage; section; verse; stanza; phrase. A discrete unit of a longer literary or musical work.

A noun used for a segment of a text, poem, or piece of music — comparable to 'a verse', 'a stanza', or 'a passage'. It implies a self-contained unit that retains meaning on its own but belongs to a larger whole. In oratorical or literary contexts, 一節を引用する (to quote a passage) is a standard phrase. The word also appears in musical contexts to denote a phrase or motif.

Examples

1. 彼女はその詩の一節を静かに暗唱し、亡き友への思いを語った。 She quietly recited a passage from the poem and spoke of her feelings for her late friend.
2. 演説の冒頭に古典の一節を引用することで、格調を高める効果がある。 Opening a speech with a quotation from a classic text lends it a sense of refinement and gravitas.
3. あの小説の一節が頭から離れず、繰り返し読み返した。 A passage from that novel stayed with me and I kept returning to read it again.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, poetry, music, public speaking, quotation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 一 (ichi) meaning 'one' and 節 (setsu) meaning 'joint, section, verse'. The character 節 originally depicted bamboo joints — segments that divide a continuous thing into distinct, meaningful units.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal