記事
Meaning in Englisharticle, news story, report
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 記事 mean? It refers to a written piece published in newspapers, magazines, or online media, such as a news article or feature; it denotes a standalone publication intended for public readership.
Main meanings
- 1) News article (nyūsu kiji) — a report on current events published by a newspaper, magazine, or online outlet.
- 2) Feature article (tokushū kiji) — a longer piece that explores a topic in depth for publication.
- 3) Opinion article (iken kiji) — a piece presenting a viewpoint or analysis from a writer or editor.
- 4) Publication entry (kiji) — a discrete item listed in a catalog, database, or archive describing a subject.
How to use it
Used to refer to a written piece published in newspapers, magazines, or online media; in journalism, education, and library cataloging it denotes a single publishable item such as a news article or feature; casual blogs and portal pages also use 記事 to label individual entries.
Variants and close terms
- ニュース記事 (nyūsu kiji) — news article
- 特集記事 (tokushū kiji) — feature article
- 意見記事 (iken kiji) — opinion article
- コラム (koramu) — column or op-ed style piece
Composition
- 記: write, record
- 事: matter, affair
- 記事: a written record or published item formed by combining the action of writing with the notion of a matter, resulting in an article
Origin
The modern sense of 記事 as a publishable written piece solidified in the Meiji era with the rise of newspapers and magazines; the concept existed earlier in classical Chinese sources, but contemporary usage as an article in media developed in modern Japanese journalism.
Word class
Noun (名詞)