ペン

Meaning in English

pen

Sentence

Related sentences

N5 それはペンです。 Sore wa pen desu. That is a pen. N5 このペンはいくらですか。 Kono pen wa ikura desu ka. How much is this pen?

Dictionary

Word context

What it means

ペン (pen) means a handheld writing tool used to apply ink to a surface; it refers broadly to instruments designed for marking, signing, drawing, or writing by flowing or depositing ink from a tip. Commonly encountered in everyday life, the term is used neutrally across contexts to indicate the object itself, its function (producing permanent or semi-permanent marks), and the act of writing when used metonymically.

Main meanings

1. A metonym for writing or writers, used figuratively to refer to the act of composing text or the profession of a writer.
2. A commercial or product category label indicating pen-shaped devices, including ink-based markers and artistic pens rather than pencils or brushes.
3. Shorthand in brand names and casual speech for specific pen types or features (e.g., felt tips, fine liners), used as a convenient umbrella term.

How to use it

Used in everyday conversation and written language to name the object or refer to writing tools in general; the katakana form is neutral and common in both casual and formal settings, though technical or formal contexts may prefer terms like 筆記具 (hikkigu) or specific product names. It's combined with other words to describe types or features and functions as a straightforward noun for requests, purchases, and descriptions.

Variants and close terms

万年筆 (mannenhitsu) — fountain pen
ボールペン (borupen) — ballpoint pen
サインペン (sainpen) — marker/fineliner used for signing or illustration
筆記具 (hikkigu) — writing instrument (formal/umbrella term)

Etymology

pen was adopted into Japanese as a katakana loanword and phonologically adjusted to fit Japanese moraic structure: the English vowel and final consonant were mapped to two morae pe + n, producing ペン. The word entered modern Japanese via foreign-language contact and is represented in writing with katakana to mark its foreign origin and pronunciation adaptation.

Origin

The physical pen as a Western-style ink instrument became common in Japan during the Meiji era when Western stationery and technologies were imported; metal-nibbed dip pens and fountain pens appeared in urban markets in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and mass-market ballpoint pens spread widely after World War II, making the device ubiquitous in schools and offices.

Word class

noun (名詞)