How to say "anthology" in Japanese

• 文集ぶんしゅうCommon
  nounAn anthology of writings, typically pieces of prose collected in one volume. Use it for a compilation of essays or other written works rather than for poetry.
• 選書せんしょCommon
  nounThis points to a curated selection of books, often a series of separately published titles, rather than a compilation of pieces in one volume. It is seldom the word you want for a literary anthology.
• アンソロジーCommon
  nounThe katakana loanword, used directly for an anthology, especially a collection of short pieces by various contributors, such as stories or poems. A safe choice when you simply mean 'anthology'.
• 歌集かしゅうCommon
  nounSpecifically a collection of waka poems, so it fits only when the anthology consists of waka. It does not cover anthologies of prose or of other kinds of poetry.
• 選集せんしゅうCommon
  nounAn anthology made by selecting pieces from a larger body of poems or texts; the emphasis falls on the choice of extracts rather than on any one genre.
  私わたしたちの選集せんしゅうにある劇げきは２つともとても好すきだ。↗

  I like both plays in our anthology very much.

Use 文集 for collections of writings, 歌集 for waka, 選集 for pieces selected from a larger body, 「アンソロジー」 as the direct loanword, and 選書 mainly for curated selections of books.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 文集ぶんしゅうanthology
• 選書せんしょanthology
• アンソロジーanthology
• 歌集かしゅうcollection of waka poems
• 選集せんしゅうselection (e.g. of poems, texts)
• 撰せんanthology (of poetry, etc.)
• 詩抄ししょうanthology
• 詞華集しかしゅうanthology (of poems)
• 文苑ぶんえんanthology
• アンソロanthology
• 作品集さくひんしゅうanthology
• 藻塩草もしおぐさseaweed used in making salt
• 文選ぶんせんanthology