Translation and Meaning of: 部門 - bumon

The word 「部門」, read in Japanese as "bumon", is composed of two kanji characters: 「部」 and 「門」. 「部」 (bu) on its own can mean "part", "section" or "division", while 「門」 (mon) translates directly as "door" or "gate". Together, 「部門」 refers to a "division", "category" or "department" within an organizational or thematic context. This combination suggests the idea of an entry or access to a specific part of a larger whole.

Historically, the structure of kanji dates back to fundamental meanings that still influence the modern interpretation of the word today. The ideogram 「部」 includes the radical 阝, which is a variation of 邑, denoting village or locality, suggesting a part of a larger grouping. On the other hand, 「門」 physically represents a gate, symbolizing a point of entry or confinement. This etymology reflects how traditional society organized and categorized its responsibilities and specialties into distinct subsections.

In addition to its use in corporate and bureaucratic contexts to indicate subdivisions within companies or public agencies, 「部門」 is widely used in classifications of competitions and awards, where different "categories" are defined to organize them. This flexibility in the use of the word makes it an essential tool not only in business language but also in academic and cultural contexts. Thus, when referring to a specific sector, 「部門」 encapsulates the notion of belonging to a part of something broader, highlighting the diversity and specialization of functions or themes.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 課 (ka) - Study or work section; a specific department within an organization.
• セクション (sekushon) - Section; a part of an organization, usually used to divide areas of responsibility.
• デパートメント (depātomento) - Department; a functional division within a company or institution.
• 部署 (busho) - Department or unit of an organization; it usually refers to a practical division within a company.

部門

Romaji: bumon
Kana: ぶもん
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n1

Translation / Meaning: class; group; category; Department; field; branch

Meaning in English: class;group;category;department;field;branch

Definition: In organizations such as companies, divisions are divided by content of work and scope of responsibility.

Example Sentences - (部門) bumon

See below some example sentences:

私の部門は新しいプロジェクトに取り組んでいます。

Watashi no bumon wa atarashii purojekuto ni torikunde imasu

My department is working on a new project.

• 私の部門 - "Watashi no bumon" means "my department" in Japanese.
• は - "wa" is a Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 新しい - "atarashii" means "new" in Japanese.
• プロジェクト - "purojekuto" is a word in Japanese that means "project".
• に - "ni" is a Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the direction or target of an action.
• 取り組んでいます - "torikundeimasu" is a verbal form in Japanese that means "we are working hard."