成せい文ぶん

せ

い

ぶ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

written expression; writing

Refers to a piece of writing or a written document, often in formal or legal contexts. Can also mean the act of putting something into writing.

契けい約やくは成せい文ぶんで残のこす必ひつ要ようがある。
The contract must be kept in writing.
彼かれの成せい文ぶんは非ひ常じょうに説せっ得とく力りょくがある。
His written expression is very persuasive.

See all 7 example sentences ›

Kanji

成turn into, become, get
文sentence, literature, style

Related words

文ぶん書しょ
文書 is a more common word for a document or written material, while 成文 emphasizes the act of writing or the written form itself, often in legal contexts.
書しょ面めん
書面 also means a written document, but is more often used in business settings. 成文 can refer to the writing itself or the expression.

Word family

成せい文ぶん化か
codification; putting into written form
成せい文ぶん律りつ
written law; statute law
成せい文ぶん法ほう
written law; statutory law
二に成せい文ぶん系けい
binary system
成せい文ぶん憲けん法ぽう
codified constitution; written constitution

Etymology

Compound of 成 (sei, 'become, form') and 文 (bun, 'writing, sentence'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in legal and formal Japanese to mean 'written form' or 'written expression'.