How to say "prose" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 散文さんぶんnounCovers prose as a literary form or genre — writing that is not verse or poetry. The word to use when literature is discussed or classified by form, as in literary criticism.
- 文章ぶんしょうnounCovers 'prose' in the sense of written text: a passage, a composition, or a person's style of writing. It is not, however, the term for the literary category opposed to poetry.
Choose 散文 for prose as a literary form, contrasted with poetry; choose 文章 when 'prose' just means writing or text in general, such as a passage or a person's written style.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
