How to say "whole" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 全体ぜんたいno-adjective, adverbThe whole of something viewed as a single unit, as opposed to its parts: the whole plan, the whole picture, the whole class. The default choice when 'whole' means 'entirety'.
- 全部ぜんぶno-adjective, adverbAll of something, everything taken together, emphasizing quantity rather than structure: all the cake, all the students, everything. Often interchangeable with 全体 when 'whole' means 'all of it'.
- 総そうprefixWhole in the sense of a total or gross figure, as in sums, totals, and aggregate amounts. Rarely used alone for 'whole'; it is really a total/gross word found in numerical and accounting contexts.
- 全身ぜんしんno-adjectiveSpecifically the whole body: one's entire body, or a full-length portrait. Use it only when 'whole' refers to a person's body, not to objects or groups.
- 全ぜんprefixA prefix meaning all, whole, or complete, attached before other words rather than standing alone. As an independent word for 'whole' it is marginal; it is really a combining element meaning 'all' or 'complete'.
Use 全体 for the whole of something as a unit, 全部 for all of it in quantity, 総 in totals and sums, 全身 for the whole body, and 全 as a prefix meaning complete.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 全体ぜんたいwhole
- 全部ぜんぶall
- 総そうwhole
- 全身ぜんしんwhole (body)
- 全ぜんall
- 全般ぜんぱん(the) whole
- 渾然こんぜんwhole
- まるごとin its entirety
- ホールwhole
- 満遍まんべんentirety
- 総ぐるみそうぐるみwhole (family, company, village, etc.)
- 全いまったいcomplete
- 挙げてあげてall
- 丸のまままるのままin its entirety
- まるままin its entirety
- まるっとin its entirety
- はんぱないto a great extent
- 丸まるentirety
- 単位たんいunit (i.e. one comprised of many)
See also
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