Refers to a physical or digital written document, often in formal, legal, or business settings. Can specifically mean a letter or written communication.
Please confirm the contract details in writing.
We have sent a letter of apology.
writing; contents of a document
Focuses on the written content or wording of a document, rather than the document as an object. Often used when discussing what is written.
Please read the contents of the document carefully.
We will inform you in writing.
Please notify us of any changes to the contract in writing.
You must submit the required documents for the application.
The two companies exchanged formal documents to finalize the contract.
All the important conditions are recorded in the document.
Consent in writing is required.
書類 covers papers and forms in general office use, whereas 書面 emphasizes the formal act of putting something in writing.
手紙 is a casual or personal letter, while 書面 is formal and often used in legal or business contexts.
文面 focuses narrowly on the wording of a letter's text, while 書面 can mean either the document itself or its content.
書面 is the standard formal word for a written document, while 紙面 keeps a stronger sense of the physical page or printed space, as in 紙面をもって.
expert; connoisseur; person in the know · counter for messages and documents · worldly understanding; tact; insight · supernatural powers; magical powers
Compound of 書 (writing) and 面 (surface, face), literally 'written surface'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in formal Japanese to refer to documents and written content.