日本にほん画が

に

ほ

ん

が

Meanings

Japanese-style painting; nihonga

Refers to traditional Japanese painting using materials and techniques distinct from Western-style oil painting (洋画). Often contrasted with 洋画.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を日に本ほん画がで描かくto paint (something) in the nihonga (Japanese painting) style
彼かれは富ふ士じ山さんを日本にほん画がで描かいた。
He painted Mt. Fuji in the traditional Japanese style.
日に本ほん画がを学まなぶto study Japanese-style painting
大だい学がくで日本にほん画がを学まなんでいる。
I'm studying nihonga at university.

Kanji

日day, sun, Japan
本book, present, main
画brush-stroke, picture

Related words

邦ほう画が
日本画 is the clearer, more common term for Japanese-style painting, while 邦画 in this sense is more context-dependent and less frequently used.
墨すみ絵え
日本画 covers traditional Japanese painting broadly, including color, whereas 墨絵 refers specifically to monochrome ink painting.

Opposites

洋よう画がN1
日本画 refers to traditional Japanese-style painting, while 洋画 refers to Western-style (esp. oil) painting, and the two are the standard contrasting pair in art contexts.

Don't confuse with

油ゆ彩さい
油彩 is a Western oil-painting technique, while 日本画 refers to traditional Japanese-style painting using mineral pigments, so the two are easily confused as general 'painting' terms.
油あぶら絵えN1
油絵 is a Western-style painting done with oil paints, whereas 日本画 is traditional Japanese-style painting using ink and mineral pigments.
水すい彩さい画が
水彩画 refers to Western-style watercolor painting, whereas 日本画 is traditional Japanese-style painting using mineral pigments, so the two differ in style and materials.

Etymology

Compound of 日本 (Nihon, 'Japan') and 画 (ga, 'picture, painting'). The term was coined in the Meiji period to distinguish traditional Japanese painting from newly introduced Western-style painting (洋画).