How do you say "grammar" in Japanese?

文法

bunpou

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "grammar" is 文法 (bunpou).

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Pronunciation

Pronounce bun-POU, two syllables with a long held final ou, where bun means sentence and pou means method.

Writing and usage

文法 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

レッスンは基本的な文法を扱った。

ressun ha kihonteki na bunpou wo atsukatsu ta.

The lesson covered basic grammar.

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How to remember 文法

Bunpou splits into bun, sentence, and pou, method - grammar is simply the method behind building sentences.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 文法

How do you pronounce 文法?

Pronounce bun-POU, two syllables with a long held final ou, where bun means sentence and pou means method.

Is 文法 formal or casual?

文法 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 文法 written in Japanese?

文法 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as bunpou.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Grammar" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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