文
sentence, literature, style, art, decoration, figures, plan, literary radical (no. 67)
Readings
On'yomi
- ブン
- モン
Kun'yomi
- ふみ
- あや
Nanori
- かざり
- ふ
- も
Meaning
文 centers on patterned expression: writing, literature, and style, but also decorative art and figures. The radical sense is the same visible pattern used as a component in other characters.
Most common words using 文
24 of 1,468- 文化ぶんかN4
culture; civilization; civilisation
- 文字もじN3
letter (of an alphabet); character
- 文ふみN1
letter; note; mail
- 文ぶんN3
sentence
- 注文ちゅうもんN4
order (for an item)
- 文章ぶんしょうN5
writing; composition; essay; article; passage; prose; (writing) style
- 文句もんくN3
complaint; grumbling; objection
- 文書ぶんしょN2
document; writing; letter; papers; notes; records; archives
- 論文ろんぶんN3
thesis; essay; treatise; paper; article
- 文庫ぶんこN1
library; book collection
- 文明ぶんめいN3
civilization; civilisation; culture
- 文学ぶんがくN4
literature
- 本文ほんぶんN1
text (of a book, document, etc.); body (of a letter)
- 英文えいぶんN2
English writing; English sentence; English text
- 文字通りもじどおりN1
literally; to the letter
- 文法ぶんぽうN4
grammar
- 文献ぶんけんN2
literature; books (reference); document
- 文化財ぶんかざいN1
cultural assets; cultural property
- 文系ぶんけいN2
humanities, social sciences, and fine arts; liberal arts
- 文科ぶんかN1
humanities and social sciences; liberal arts
- 作文さくぶんN5
writing (an essay, prose, etc.); composition
- 縄文じょうもん
straw-rope pattern pressed into earthenware
- 全文ぜんぶん
whole passage; full text; whole sentence; full paragraph
- 文部もんぶ
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (1871-2001)
Study
Etymology
文 is a pictograph of a pattern or design, originally showing crossed lines or a tattoo-like mark. It came to mean writing, literature, and decoration.
Meaning mnemonic
The crossed strokes of 文 look like a decorative pattern or a written character. Picture it as a stylized design that represents both art and writing.
Reading mnemonic
For ブン, imagine a bun decorated with intricate patterns: bun -> ブン, and the bun's design is a work of art.