How do you say "stationery" in Japanese?

文房具

bunbōgu

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "stationery" is 文房具 (bunbōgu).

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Pronunciation

文房具 is written using kanji. Romanised as bunbōgu, it sounds roughly like "boo-n-boh-goo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Bunbōgu combines 文房 (writing room) with 具 (tool/object). A term describing writing implements and desk supplies.

Example sentence

その文房具はとても便利です。

Sono Bunbōgu wa totemo benri desu.

That stationery is very useful.

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How to remember 文房具

Writing room tools. Everything used in a writing space falls under this category.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 文房具

How do you pronounce 文房具?

文房具 is romanised as bunbōgu. Say it roughly like "boo-n-boh-goo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 文房具 formal or casual?

文房具 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 文房具 written in Japanese?

文房具 is written using kanji. Bunbōgu combines 文房 (writing room) with 具 (tool/object).

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.

"Stationery" in other languages

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