How to say "paragraph" in Japanese

• 段落だんらくCommon
  nounThe default word for a paragraph: a block of text in an essay, letter, or other prose. When you mean the unit of writing that begins on a new line, this is the word you want.
  別べつの段落だんらくで彼かれはコンマを１つ入いれた。↗

  In another paragraph, he put in a comma.
• 句くJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, noun (suffix)Primarily means a sentence, phrase, or passage of text rather than a paragraph. It can be glossed as 'paragraph', but it is seldom the word you want for that sense; think 'sentence' or 'section' instead.
  彼かれはその句くの文字もじどおりの意味いみを説明せつめいした。↗

  He explained the literal meaning of the phrase.
• 節せつJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounMainly a section of a literary work or piece of music, or a passage or verse. The 'paragraph' gloss is secondary; for an ordinary paragraph of prose this is usually not the natural choice.
  最後さいごの２節せつを省略しょうりゃくして歌うたいましょうか。↗

  We'll sing that song, omitting the last two verses.

Use 段落 for an ordinary paragraph of prose; 句 and 節 chiefly mean sentence/passage and section respectively, and are only marginal choices for 'paragraph'.

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

• 段落だんらくparagraph
• 句くsection (i.e. of text)
• くだりpassage
• 項こうclause
• パラグラフparagraph
• 項に分かつこうにわかつto paragraph
• 章段しょうだんparagraph
• 章句しょうくchapter and verse
• 節せつsection (of a literary work or piece of music)
• 齣せきparagraph (esp. of an Edo-period novel)
• 段だんparagraph