How to say "text" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe loanword for 'text' itself. It treats text as written material or data rather than the body of a particular document, and is the natural choice for digital text.
- 本文ほんぶんnounThe main text of a book or document, as opposed to its preface, notes or appendices; also the body of a letter. Use it for the substantive part of a report or message.
- 条文じょうぶんnounThe text of a law, treaty or contract; its provisions or clauses. Use it when quoting or citing an article of a statute or a clause of a contract.
- 文ぶんnounIt primarily means 'sentence' or 'composition'. Its 'text' sense is a piece of writing as a whole, so it is seldom the word you want for the text of a book or document.
- 主文しゅぶんnounThe text of a judicial decision: the main clause of a court ruling, stating the decision itself. A legal term — use it for court judgments, not for ordinary documents.
Use 「テキスト」 for text as material or data, 本文 for the body of a book, document or letter, 条文 for laws and contracts, 主文 for court rulings, and 文 for a piece of writing rather than a document's text.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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