The Meaning of denki [伝记] In Japanese

伝记
でんき
Romaji: denki N3

What does 伝记 mean?

Translation and Meaning

biography, life story

Definition

伝记 means a biography—a written account of a person’s life, typically detailing key events, achievements, and context, and published as a book or article.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Biographical account of a real person, usually in book form
  • Biographical notes or sketches used in encyclopedias or catalogs
  • Works or media focusing on a real person’s life, such as biographical films or documentaries

Etymology

伝 + 記 are on’yomi components; their combination yields 伝記 pronounced denki, a Sino-Japanese compound meaning a biographical account.

Composition

  • 伝: convey, transmit; the idea of passing down information
  • 記: record, chronicle; the act of writing down events

Usage

Used in formal contexts such as scholarly writing, library catalogs, encyclopedias, and media discussions to refer to the life story of a real person; commonly appears in compounds like 伝記作家, 伝記映画, and 伝記文学.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a storyteller passing a life story to a book, as a messenger handing over a scroll that records a life.

Variations

  • 自伝 (じでん, jiden) – autobiography
  • 伝記文学 (でんきぶんがく, denki bungaku) – biographical literature
  • 伝記映画 (でんきえいが, denki eiga) – biographical film

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 友人の 伝记を 読んで 感想を 共有した。
    Kyou wa yuujin no denki o yonde kansou o kyouyuu shita.
    Today I read a friend’s biography and shared my thoughts.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 友人の (yuujin no) – friend’s
    • 伝记を (denki o) – biography (object marker)
    • 読んで (yonde) – read (te-form)
    • 感想を (kansou o) – thoughts (object marker)
    • 共有した (kyouyuu shita) – shared
    In this sentence, 「伝记」 means ‘biography’ and is used as the object of 読む; the particle を marks what is read as in 伝记を読む.
伝記