Translation and Meaning of: 部 - bu

The Japanese word 「部」 (bu) is a kanji with a robust and versatile meaning, often used in the Japanese language to describe parts, sections, or divisions of something larger. This idea of division is at the heart of its main meaning, which can refer to departments in a company, sections of a book, or even groups in an organization. It is an integral part of the Japanese vocabulary, essential for the correct understanding of many social and business contexts.

Etymologically, the kanji 「部」 is formed by the radicals 「⻂」 (mīn), which means "city" or "village" and is associated with community or group, and 「口」 (kuchi), which means "mouth" or "opening," and often represents something that is open or an entrance. Together, they convey the idea of a portion of a city or a 'part' where people gather. This composition accurately reflects the use of the kanji to indicate divisions or sections.

Regarding its origin, 「部」 (bu) has roots in ancient Chinese, where it also meant division or part. This idea was incorporated into Japanese during the adoption of Chinese characters (kanji) in Japanese writing. The continued use of this word in Japan over the centuries has solidified its place in the foundations of both the language and culture, playing a significant role in various aspects of daily life, from the structure of school subjects to administrative divisions in companies.

Variações e usos comuns

• 社内部 (shanai-bu): Refers to internal departments within a company.
• 部活 (bukatsu): Abbreviation for extracurricular school activities or clubs, such as music or sports clubs.
• 部分 (bubun): Means a section or part of a whole, usually used in more literal or physical contexts.

In summary, the word 「部」 (bu) is an essential element of modern Japanese vocabulary, reflecting a variety of concepts related to parts and divisions. Its rich etymology, originating from collective and organizational notions, makes it a fundamental part of understanding the structural functioning in both language and Japanese culture.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 課 (Ka) - Department, section, or specific course in an educational or organizational context.
• グループ (Guruupu) - Group, a collection of people who work together.
• セクション (Sekushon) - Section, a part of a whole, often used in an organizational context or in documents.
• チーム (Chiimu) - Team, a group of people who collaborate to achieve a common goal.
• ユニット (Yunitto) - Unit, a part of a larger system, which may refer to teams or departments.

部

Romaji: bu
Kana: ぶ
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n1

Translation / Meaning: Department; part; category; counter for copies of a newspaper or magazine

Meaning in English: department;part;category;counter for copies of a newspaper or magazine

Definition: Refers to a floor of a building or facility, or to a field or department.

Example Sentences - (部) bu

See below some example sentences:

彼は無言で部屋を出た。

Kare wa mugon de heya o deta.

He left the room in silence.

He left the room without saying a word.

• 無言 (mugon) - Silence, absence of words
• 彼 (kare) - He
• 部屋 (heya) - Living room, bedroom
• 出る (deru) - Exit

私は彼女の部屋を覗いた。

Watashi wa kanojo no heya o nozokita

I looked into her room.

I looked into her room.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 彼女 - noun meaning "girlfriend" or "her"
• の - possessive pronoun indicating that "the room" belongs to "her"
• 部屋 - noun that means "room" or "hall"
• を - direct object particle indicating the object of the action
• 覗いた - verb meaning "I looked" or "I spied"

私たちは明日の会議のために部屋を仕切ります。

Watashitachi wa ashita no kaigi no tame ni heya o shikirimasu

We're going to share a room for tomorrow's meeting.

We will join the room for tomorrow's meeting.

• 私たち - we
• 明日 - tomorrow
• 会議 - meeting
• ために - for
• 部屋 - living room/bedroom
• 仕切ります - divide/separate

四角い部屋は広々としている。

Yonkaku i heya wa hirobiro to shite iru

A room with four corners is spacious.

The square room is spacious.

• 四角い - It means "square" or "rectangular".
• 部屋 - means "room".
• は - partopic marker indicating that the subject of the sentence is "quarto quadrado".
• 広々 - It means "spacious" or "wide".
• と - Subtitle indicating that "spacious" is a characteristic of the quarto.
• している - Present form of the verb "する" indicating an ongoing action. In this case, "being" or "getting".

この部屋はとても冷える。

Kono heya wa totemo hieru

This room is very cold.

This room is too cold.

• この - this
• 部屋 - fourth
• は - Topic particle
• とても - very
• 冷える - to be cold

この部屋のテーブルは長方形の形をしています。

Kono heya no teburu wa chouhoukei no katachi o shite imasu

The table in this room is in the shape of a rectangle.

The table in this room has a rectangular shape.

• この部屋の - indicates that the sentence refers to something inside this quarto
• テーブル - table
• は - partícula that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, the table
• 長方形 - Rectangle
• の - partícula that indicates possession, in this case, the shape of the table
• 形 - Form
• を - particle indicating the direct object of the sentence, in this case, the shape of the table
• しています - verb that indicates that the table has the shape of a rectangle

部屋が散らかっている。

Heya ga chirakatte iru

The room is messy.

The room is spread out.

• 部屋 (heya) - fourth
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 散らかっている (chirakatteiru) - it's messy

部屋の隅にはたくさんの埃があります。

Heya no sumi ni wa takusan no hokori ga arimasu

There is a lot of dust in the corner of the room.

• 部屋 - fourth
• の - of
• 隅 - Corner
• に - in
• は - (topic particle)
• たくさん - many
• の - of
• 埃 - dust
• が - (subject particle)
• あります - exists

部屋が真っ暗で怖かった。

Heya ga makkura de kowakatta

The room was completely dark and scary.

The room was dark and scary.

• 部屋 (heya) - fourth
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 真っ暗 (makkura) - completely dark
• で (de) - State or environmental permit
• 怖かった (kowakatta) - I was afraid

部屋が片付いた。

Heya ga katazukita

The room was tidy.

The room was cleaned.

• 部屋 (heya) - fourth
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 片付いた (katazuketa) - It was neat