文

• Reading: ぶん
• Romaji: bun
• Kanji breakdown: 文 (bun/mon/fumi) — sentence, writing, text, culture
• Pronunciation: /bɯɴ/

Meaning

Sentence; text; composition. A written passage or sentence in a language.

A noun with multiple readings and meanings. Read as ぶん, it commonly means a sentence or piece of writing. It also appears in many compound words: 文法 (grammar), 文化 (culture), 文学 (literature). An essential building block for discussing written language at any level.

Examples

1. この文を読んでください。 Please read this sentence.
2. 日本語で短い文を書きました。 I wrote a short sentence in Japanese.
3. 文の意味がよくわかりません。 I don't quite understand the meaning of the sentence.

Usage Guide

Context: language learning, writing, education

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 文 originally depicted a pattern or design, later extending to mean writing, text, and culture. One of the oldest kanji in use, fundamental to literacy in Chinese and Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal