小しょう説せつ

しょ

う

せ

つ

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

noun

novel; story; fiction

Refers to a long fictional narrative in prose, typically published as a book. Can also be used more broadly for any fictional story or work of fiction.

彼かれは新あたらしい小しょう

説せつ

を

書か

い

て

いる

。

He is writing a new novel.

この小しょう説せつはとても感かん動どう的てきだ。

This novel is very moving.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が小しょう説せつを書かくfor someone to write a novel
彼かれは去きょ年ねん、初はじめての小しょう説せつを書かいた。
He wrote his first novel last year.
小しょう説せつを読よむto read a novel
電でん車しゃの中なかで小しょう説せつを読よむのが好すきだ。
I like reading novels on the train.
小しょう説せつを出しゅっ版ぱんするto publish a novel
その作さっ家かは新あたらしい小しょう説せつを出しゅっ版ぱんした。
The author published a new novel.
小しょう説せつを映えい画が化かするto turn a novel into a movie
その小しょう説せつは来らい年ねん映えい画が化かされる予よ定ていだ。
That novel is scheduled to be made into a movie next year.
小しょう説せつに基もとづくto be based on a novel
このドラマは有ゆう名めいな小しょう説せつに基もとづいている。
This drama is based on a famous novel.

Expressions

甘あまい小しょう説せつsentimental novel; sappy story
事じ実じつは小しょう説せつより奇きなりtruth is stranger than fiction
事じ実じつは小しょう説せつよりも奇きなりtruth is stranger than fiction

Kanji

小little, small
説opinion, theory, explanation

Related words

物もの語がたりN3
物語 is a broad word for any tale or narrative (including myths and folk tales), while 小説 specifically means a written novel or work of fiction.
フィクションN1
フィクション is a loanword covering any fictional work (books, films, etc.), while 小説 refers specifically to a written novel.
ノベル
小説 is the common native Japanese word for 'novel' used in everyday speech, while ノベル is a loanword mainly seen in compounds like ライトノベル.

Opposites

ノンフィクションN1
ノンフィクション is nonfiction based on real events, the direct opposite of 小説, which is invented fiction.

Counted with

冊さつN1
小説 is counted with 冊, the standard counter for bound books and volumes.
版はんN2
Counts editions and printings of a publication (初版, 第2版).
編へんN1
For literary works — poems, stories, essays, novels.

Word family· 52

長ちょう編へん小しょう説せつN1
novel; full-length novel; long novel
小しょう説せつ化か
novelization; turning into a novel
小しょう説せつ家か
novelist; fiction writer

Etymology

From Chinese 小說 (xiǎoshuō), originally meaning 'minor talk' or 'gossip', later coming to mean 'fiction' or 'novel' in both Chinese and Japanese.

三さん文もん小しょう説せつ

dime novel; cheap novel; pulp fiction

中ちゅう編へん小しょう説せつ

novella; short novel

Show 5 more

中ちゅう間かん小しょう説せつ
middle-brow novel
伝でん奇き小しょう説せつ
fantasy novel; fantastic tale
伝でん記き小しょう説せつ
fictional biography; biographical novel
冒ぼう険けん小しょう説せつ
adventure novel; adventure story
処しょ女じょ小しょう説せつ
debut novel; first novel

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