N4 kanji · 4 strokes
文 means writing, sentence
文
文Real origin
It began as a person with a pattern drawn on their chest: pattern, writing.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- sentence, literature, style, art
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 4
- School grade
- Grade 1 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) ふみ fumi
ふみ (fumi) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: あや aya
From Chinese (onyomi) ブン bun
ブン (bun) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: モン mon
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
文書 ぶんしょ · bunsho
document, writing
Quick check
What does 文 mean?
Right: 文 means writing, sentence.Not quite: 文 means writing, sentence.In 文書, which reading does 文 use?
Right. 文書 is read ぶんしょ (bunsho): 文 takes ブン, its reading from Chinese.Not quite. 文書 is read ぶんしょ (bunsho): 文 takes ブン, its reading from Chinese.