部門

• Reading: ぶもん
• Romaji: bumon
• Kanji breakdown: 部 (bu) — section, division; 門 (mon) — gate, category
• Pronunciation: /bɯ.moɴ/

Meaning

Division; department; branch; field; category within a larger organisation or classification.

A noun used broadly in business, academia, competitions, and classification systems. Refers to a major division or category within a larger whole. Common in business (営業部門 = sales division, 製造部門 = manufacturing division) and events (部門別 = by category). Compared to 部署, 部門 refers to a broader functional area rather than a specific team or office.

Examples

1. 当社の研究開発部門は五十人体制です。 Our R&D division has a team of fifty people.
2. 映画祭で最優秀作品部門にノミネートされた。 It was nominated for the Best Picture category at the film festival.
3. 部門ごとの売上を比較したグラフを作成した。 I created a graph comparing sales figures by division.

Usage Guide

Context: business, competitions, academia, classification

Tone: professional

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 部 (bu, section/division) + 門 (mon, gate/category). Literally 'sectional gate,' using 門 in its extended sense of a field or category of classification.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Universal