The Meaning of bunseki [分析] In Japanese

分析
ぶんせき
Romaji: bunseki N2

What does 分析 mean?

Translation and Meaning

analysis, examination

Definition

What does 分析 mean? It denotes the process of breaking something into its parts to understand its structure or function, and to draw conclusions from that examination. It is used in science, data analysis, linguistics, and critical thinking to interpret information through decomposition and systematic study.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: the act or result of analyzing something by breaking it into parts to understand its structure, causes, or implications.
  • In scientific, data, and scholarly contexts: data analysis, statistical analysis, qualitative analysis.
  • As a verb via 分析する: to analyze; to examine closely.

Etymology

bun + seki are the on’yomi readings of 分 and 析; combined as bunseki. This phonetic construction is typical of Sino-Japanese vocabulary, where two characters form a compound meaning analysis or examination.

Origin

Borrowed from Chinese; earliest attestations appear in classical Chinese scholarly language and were adopted into Japanese kanbun and later modern technical usage, expanding with science, data analysis, and academic discourse.

Composition

  • 分 = division, part; to split
  • 析 = to analyze, to dissect
  • Together 分析 means the act of analyzing by breaking something into parts in order to understand or interpret it.

Usage

Used as a noun to denote the act of analysis; forms like 分析する (bunseki suru) create a verb meaning to analyze; common in academic papers, technical reports, data science, and critical discussion; in formal contexts you may see 分析を行う or 分析結果 as standard phrases.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a data set being divided into parts (分) and then each part is carefully examined (析) to reveal the whole story—bunseki reveals the answer by careful breakdown.

Variations

  • 解析 (kaiseki) — closely related, often used in scientific or technical contexts.
  • 検討 (kentō) — examination or consideration, broader in scope and often used in planning.
  • 調査 (chōsa) — investigation or survey, broader than a focused analysis.

Example Phrases

  • 今朝 家計簿 を 分析して 毎月 の 支出 を 見直した。
    kesa kakeibo o bunseki shite maitsuki no shishutsu o minaoshita
    This morning I analyzed my household budget and reviewed monthly expenses.
    Lista:
    • 今朝 (kesa) – this morning
    • 家計簿 (kakeibo) – household budget book
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 分析して (bunseki shite) – analyzing
    • 毎月 (maitsuki) – every month
    • の (no) – possessive/connector
    • 支出 (shishutsu) – expenditures
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 見直した (minaoshita) – reviewed
    In this sentence, 「分析」 is a noun meaning ‘analysis’ and forms the te-form with する to indicate performing analysis.
分析