The Meaning of bunrui [分類] In Japanese
分類
ぶんるい
Romaji: bunrui
N3
What does 分類 mean?
Translation and Meaning
classification, categorization, sorting
Definition
What does 分類 mean? It denotes the act of organizing items into groups based on shared characteristics, enabling systematic understanding, retrieval, and communication across disciplines such as science, information management, and everyday life.
Type
noun (名詞)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- As a noun, the act or result of arranging items into categories based on attributes.
- In information and library science, a formal system or scheme for grouping items such as a taxonomy or classification.
- In everyday contexts, used for tasks like sorting waste into designated categories and organizing materials by type.
Etymology
分 means divide or part; 類 means kind or type; together they form bunrui, the standard on’yomi reading for this compound in Japanese technical language.
Composition
- 分: to divide, part or portion; indicates separation into parts
- 類: kind, type, class; indicates grouping by similarity
Usage
Used in formal writing and everyday language to indicate the process of sorting into categories. In academic and professional contexts it appears in biology, information management, and cataloging, while in public life it appears on signage and policies about how to perform 分類 for waste, recyclable materials, and resources.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a line splitting a shelf into kinds; the line marks the division into types, just as 分類 splits items into 類.
Variations
- 区分 (kubun) — division, categorization
- 分類化 (bunruika) — act of classifying
- 整理 (seiri) — organizing, sorting
Example Phrases
-
今日、市場で食品を分類して整理する。Kyou, ichiba de shokuhin o bunrui shite seiri suru.Today, at the market, I classify foods and organize them.Lista:
- 今日 (kyou) – today
- 市場で (ichiba de) – at the market
- 食品を (shokuhin o) – foods
- 分類して (bunrui shite) – classifying and
- 整理する (seiri suru) – to organize
Here, 「分類」 acts as the noun form and is connected to して to link the actions.
