ベストセラー

• Reading: べすとせらー
• Romaji: besutoseraa
• Pronunciation: /be.sɯ.to.se.ɾaː/

Meaning

Bestseller; a book or product that sells in very large numbers.

A katakana loanword from English, used primarily for books that achieve top sales rankings. Also applied to products in general. Common collocations include ベストセラー作家 (bestselling author) and ベストセラーリスト (bestseller list). The word carries a positive, prestigious connotation.

Examples

1. あの小説はベストセラーになって百万部売れた。 That novel became a bestseller and sold a million copies.
2. ベストセラー作家の新刊を楽しみにしている。 I'm looking forward to the new book by a bestselling author.
3. 今週のベストセラーランキングを見てみよう。 Let's check out this week's bestseller rankings.

Usage Guide

Context: publishing, books, media, shopping

Tone: positive

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'bestseller,' a compound of 'best' (most) and 'seller' (something that sells). Entered Japanese in the early 20th century as the publishing industry modernised.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal