書簡

• Reading: しょかん
• Romaji: shokan
• Kanji breakdown: 書 (sho) — write, document; 簡 (kan) — letter, tablet
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.ka.ɴ/

Meaning

Letter; epistle; correspondence; a written communication sent from one person to another.

A formal or literary term for a personal letter, more elevated than 手紙 (tegami). In literary studies, the collected 書簡 of major authors are invaluable for understanding their inner life, relationships, and creative process. The 書簡体小説 (epistolary novel) uses letters as its narrative form.

Examples

1. 夏目漱石の書簡は、彼の内面や人間関係を知る上で貴重な資料である。 The letters of Natsume Sōseki are invaluable sources for understanding his inner life and personal relationships.
2. 戦地にいる夫から届いた書簡を、妻は何度も繰り返し読んだ。 The wife read the letters that arrived from her husband at the front over and over again.
3. 二人の詩人が交わした書簡が、後に一冊の本として出版された。 The letters exchanged between two poets were later published as a single book.

Usage Guide

Context: classical literature, history, epistolary fiction

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A Sino-Japanese compound combining 書 (sho, writing/document) and 簡 (kan, letter/tablet). Originally 簡 referred to wooden or bamboo slips used for writing in ancient China; the combination came to mean a written letter or correspondence.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated