碑文|ひぶんhibun[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectiveinscription; epitaph; epigraph

• Synonym碑銘ひめいWrittenWritten/formal prose word for an inscription carved on a stone monument; almost interchangeable with 「碑文」 but used less often.
• Synonym銘めいWrittenBroader than 「碑文」: it covers inscriptions and mottos, and can also mean the engraved signature on a sword blade.
• Synonym刻銘こくめいWrittenInscription carved on an object; stresses metal and stone items such as vessels, and is not limited to stone monuments.

Use 「碑文」 for text carved on a stone monument, as in 「碑文を読む」. In written prose 「碑銘」 is a near-equivalent; 「刻銘」 covers inscriptions on objects, and 「銘」 also means a motto.

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

1. 石碑せきひに彫ほられた文章ぶんしょう。