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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "molecule" in Japanese?
分子
bunshi
In Japanese, "molecule" is 分子 (bunshi).
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Pronunciation
Bunshi has a nasal n in the first syllable, bun, followed by a crisp short shi, said with even weight on both.
Writing and usage
分子 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
水分子は3つの原子から成り立っています。
mizubunshi ha 3 tsuno genshi kara naritatsu teimasu.
A water molecule has three atoms.
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How to remember 分子
Bunshi sounds like 'bun she', as if a tiny bun-shaped cluster of atoms is what makes up a molecule.
Related words
- gravity 重力 juuryoku
- energy エネルギー enerugii
- electricity 電気 denki
- magnet マグネット magunetto
- chemical 化学的 kagakuteki
- reaction 反応 hannou
- oxygen 酸素 sanso
- carbon カーボン kaabon
- hydrogen 水素 suiso
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 分子
How do you pronounce 分子?
Bunshi has a nasal n in the first syllable, bun, followed by a crisp short shi, said with even weight on both.
Is 分子 formal or casual?
分子 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 分子 written in Japanese?
分子 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as bunshi.
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.
"Molecule" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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