美術

• Reading: びじゅつ
• Romaji: bijutsu
• Kanji breakdown: 美 (bi) — beauty, beautiful; 術 (jutsu) — art, technique, skill
• Pronunciation: /bi.d͡ʑɯ.t͡sɯ/

Meaning

Art; fine arts. Refers to visual arts such as painting, sculpture, and drawing.

A noun used to describe fine arts or visual arts in general. In Japanese schools, 美術 is the name of the art class where students learn drawing, painting, and sculpture. It is distinct from 芸術 (geijutsu), which covers a broader range of artistic disciplines.

Examples

1. 美術の授業で絵を描きました。 I drew a picture in art class.
2. 姉は美術が好きで毎日絵を描いています。 My older sister likes art and draws every day.
3. この美術館はとても有名です。 This art museum is very famous.

Usage Guide

Context: school, museums, hobbies

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Coined in the Meiji era as a translation of the Western concept of 'fine arts.' The kanji 美 means beauty and 術 means technique or art.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal