文化

Chinese

		language; culture; writing language; culture; writing; formal; literary; gentle	to make into; to change into; ‑ization to make into; to change into; ‑ization; to ... ‑ize; to transform
trad. (文化)		文	化
simp. #(文化)		文	化

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 文化 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 文化 (Cantonese)
• vùn-fa (Hakka)
• ùng-huá (Eastern Min)
• bûn-hòa (Southern Min)
• 文化 (Wu)

Etymology

The modern Chinese term is an Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 文化(ぶんか) (bunka, “culture”), which is a direct translation of the German word Kultur. ^[1]

In its classical form, the term can be interpreted as 文教 (wénjiào, “humanistic education”) + 化育 (huàyù, “transformational development”). Often cited are the following examples:

先秦, 《周易·賁卦彖傳》:

觀於天文、以察時變、觀乎人文、以化成天下

We observe the patterns of the skies in order to inspect seasonal changes. We observe the patterns of human behavior in order to transform and actualize all under Heaven.

南朝劉宋, 范曄, 《後漢書·荀淑傳》:

宣文教以章其化、立武備以秉其威。

Spread humanistic education in order to manifest its transformative potential. Establish military capabilities in order to have a grasp on (its) power.

Humanistic education, based on the tradition of rites and propriety 禮教／礼教 (lǐjiào) have the transformative potential to actualize all under Heaven 人文化成. This is often juxtaposed or contrasted with the use of punishment 刑 (xíng) or military might 武 (wǔ) to establish power and control over a populace, as can be seen in the quote below:

南北朝, 齊王融, 〈從武帝琅邪城講武應詔詩〉, quoted in 《藝文類聚》卷五十九 ，武部，戰伐:

早逢文化洽，復屬武功宣

Having reached an ideal state of (governance by the means of) transformative education at an early stage, we can now focus on the establishment of military power (in the region).

文化 over here is synonymous with 文治 (wénzhì, “governance by means of culture, education, rites and music”). This is not the same as culture in the modern sense of the term.

It is within this classical context that the Japanese first coined the term 文化(ぶんか) (bunka) to name an era during the Edo period.

When used to translate Kultur during the Meiji restoration, 文化(ぶんか) (bunka) is possibly a contraction of 文明開化(ぶんめいかいか) (bunmeikaika, “to open up and transform through civilization”),^[2] which takes the meaning of a civilizing agent i.e. Culture.

Pronunciation

[Show/Hide]
edit edit 文化 文話／文话

Rime
Character	文	化
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	文 (59)	麻 (99)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	III	II
Fanqie	無分切	呼霸切
Baxter	mjun	xwaeH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɨun/	/hˠuaH/
Pan Wuyun	/miun/	/hʷᵚaH/
Shao Rongfen	/miuən/	/xuaH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mun/	/hwaɨH/
Li Rong	/miuən/	/xuaH/
Wang Li	/mĭuən/	/xwaH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯uən/	/xwaH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wén	huà
Expected Cantonese Reflex	man4	faa3

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	文	化
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wén	huà
Middle Chinese	‹ mjun ›	‹ xwæH ›
Old Chinese	/*mə[n]/	/*qʷʰˁ<r>aj-s/
English	ornate	transform
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	文	化
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	13015	5327
Phonetic component	文	化
Rime group	文	歌
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	文	化
Old Chinese	/*mɯn/	/*hŋʷraːls/

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wénhuà

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): вынхуа (vɨnhua, I-II)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): man⁴ faa³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): mun³ fa¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vùn-fa

  (Hailu, HRS): vun fa^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vun² fa⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): ùng-huá
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bûn-hòa

  (Teochew, Peng'im): bhung⁵ huê³

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶ven-ho₅ / ²ven-ho₅

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wénhuà
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wúnhuà
    • Wade–Giles: wên²-hua⁴
    • Yale: wén-hwà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wenhuah
    • Palladius: вэньхуа (vɛnʹxua)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wən³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹/
    • Homophones:
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: вынхуа (vɨnhua, I-II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vəŋ²⁴ xua⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: man⁴ faa³
    • Yale: màhn fa
    • Cantonese Pinyin: man⁴ faa³
    • Guangdong Romanization: men⁴ fa³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐn²¹ faː³³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: mun³ fa¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbun²² fa³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vùn-fa
    • Hakka Romanization System: vun^ˇ fa
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vun² fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /vun¹¹ fa⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: vun fa^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /vun⁵⁵ fa¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vun² fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋun¹¹ fa⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ùng-huá
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uŋ⁵³⁻²¹ ^(h-)ŋuɑ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bûn-hòa
    • Tâi-lô: bûn-huà
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bunhoax
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bun²⁴⁻²² hua²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bun²⁴⁻²² hua⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bun¹³⁻²² hua²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bun²⁴⁻¹¹ hua¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bun²³⁻³³ hua²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bhung⁵ huê³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bûng huè
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /buŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ hue²¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ven-ho₅
    • MiniDict: ven^去 ho^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³ven-ho₂
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /vən²² ho⁴⁴/
  • (Northern: Suzhou, Jiaxing)
    • Wugniu: ²ven-ho₅
    • MiniDict: ven^平 ho^去
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /vən²² ho³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /vən¹³ ho⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: mjun xwaeH

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*mə[n]  qʷʰˤ<r>aj-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*mɯn  hŋʷraːls/

Noun

文化

1. (countable, uncountable) culture (Classifier: 個／个; 種／种)

   文化體系／文化体系  ―  wénhuà tǐxì  ―  cultural system

   文化環境／文化环境  ―  wénhuà huánjìng  ―  cultural context

   中華文化／中华文化  ―  zhōnghuá wénhuà  ―  Chinese culture

   公司文化  ―  gōngsī wénhuà  ―  company culture

   本土文化  ―  běntǔ wénhuà  ―  indigenous culture

   燦爛文化／灿烂文化  ―  cànlàn wénhuà  ―  magnificent culture

   文化負載詞／文化负载词  ―  wénhuà fùzǎicí  ―  culturally loaded term

   國家級文化生態保護區 [MSC, trad.]
   国家级文化生态保护区 [MSC, simp.]

   guójiājí wénhuà shēngtài bǎohùqū [Pinyin]

   national ecocultural protection area

   開展對外文化交流 [MSC, trad.]
   开展对外文化交流 [MSC, simp.]

   kāizhǎn duìwài wénhuà jiāoliú [Pinyin]

   to conduct cultural exchange with other countries

   不同的國家有不同的文化。 [MSC, trad.]
   不同的国家有不同的文化。 [MSC, simp.]

   Bùtóng de guójiā yǒu bùtóng de wénhuà. [Pinyin]

   Different countries have different cultures.

2. (uncountable) education; literacy
3. (archaeology, countable) archaeological culture (recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society)

   龍山文化／龙山文化  ―  Lóngshān Wénhuà  ―  the Longshan culture

4. (literary, archaic, uncountable) education through teaching morality, literature and music

Usage notes

Like the term "culture" in English, 文化 (wénhuà) can refer to both culture in the sense of a society's arts or customs, as well the attitudes and behaviours of a particular group of people, as in a "company culture". However, 文化 (wénhuà) cannot refer to "culture" in the biological sense; instead the term 培養物／培养物 is used. The verb 培養／培养 (péiyǎng) is to cultivate.

Derived terms

• 中華文化復興節／中华文化复兴节
• 中華文化復興運動／中华文化复兴运动
• 二里頭文化
• 亞文化／亚文化 (yàwénhuà)
• 企業文化／企业文化 (qǐyè wénhuà)
• 仰韶文化
• 傳統文化／传统文化
• 副文化
• 卑南文化
• 印度河文化
• 反文化
• 取消文化 (qǔxiāo wénhuà)
• 周口店文化
• 喪文化／丧文化 (sàngwénhuà)
• 固有文化
• 國家電影文化中心／国家电影文化中心
• 夏家店上層文化／夏家店上层文化 (Xiàjiādiàn shàngcéng wénhuà)
• 夏家店下層文化／夏家店下层文化 (Xiàjiādiàn xiàcéng wénhuà)
• 多元文化 (duōyuán wénhuà)
• 大坌坑文化
• 大汶口文化
• 大河文化
• 大眾文化／大众文化 (dàzhòng wénhuà)
• 學術文化團體／学术文化团体
• 尼羅河文化／尼罗河文化
• 巨石文化
• 強姦文化／强奸文化 (qiángjiān wénhuà)
• 彌生文化／弥生文化
• 彩陶文化
• 愛琴文化／爱琴文化
• 拜占庭文化
• 排灣文化相／排湾文化相
• 政治文化
• 教科文 (jiàokēwén)
• 文化事業／文化事业
• 文化交流 (wénhuà jiāoliú)
• 文化人 (wénhuàrén)
• 文化休克 (wénhuà xiūkè)
• 文化區／文化区
• 文化圈 (wénhuàquān)
• 文化園／文化园 (wénhuàyuán)
• 文化垃圾
• 文化多樣性／文化多样性 (wénhuà duōyàngxìng)
• 文化大革命 (Wénhuà Dà Gémìng)
• 文化宮／文化宫 (wénhuàgōng)
• 文化層／文化层
• 文化挪用 (wénhuà nuóyòng)
• 文化景觀／文化景观
• 文化村
• 文化模式
• 文化水準／文化水准
• 文化沙漠 (wénhuà shāmò)
• 文化消費／文化消费
• 文化特質／文化特质
• 文化產業／文化产业
• 文化研究 (wénhuà yánjiū)
• 文化程度 (wénhuà chéngdù)
• 文化站
• 文化英雄 (wénhuà yīngxióng)
• 文化街
• 文化衝擊／文化冲击 (wénhuà chōngjī)
• 文化衝突／文化冲突 (wénhuà chōngtū)
• 文化衫 (wénhuàshān)
• 文化認同／文化认同 (wénhuà rèntóng)
• 文化課／文化课 (wénhuàkè)
• 文化變遷／文化变迁
• 文化資產／文化资产
• 文化遺產／文化遗产 (wénhuà yíchǎn)
• 文化震撼 (wénhuà zhènhàn)
• 文化震驚／文化震惊 (wénhuà zhènjīng)
• 文化革命 (Wénhuà Gémìng)
• 文化館／文化馆 (wénhuàguǎn)
• 文化體系／文化体系
• 新文化
• 新文化運動／新文化运动 (Xīn Wénhuà Yùndòng)
• 普及文化 (pǔjí wénhuà)
• 普同文化
• 本土文化
• 東海岸史前文化／东海岸史前文化
• 次文化 (cìwénhuà)
• 次級文化／次级文化
• 民族文化
• 河套文化
• 流行文化 (liúxíng wénhuà)
• 精神文化
• 紅山文化／红山文化 (Hóngshān wénhuà)
• 自由文化 (zìyóu wénhuà)
• 良渚文化 (Liángzhǔ Wénhuà)
• 西拉雅文化相
• 貧窮文化／贫穷文化
• 跨文化 (kuàwénhuà)
• 通俗文化 (tōngsú wénhuà)
• 遼寧青銅文化／辽宁青铜文化 (Liáoníng qīngtóng wénhuà)
• 酒文化 (jiǔwénhuà)
• 鑼群文化／锣群文化
• 長濱文化／长滨文化
• 雙文化／双文化 (shuāngwénhuà)
• 電影文化／电影文化
• 青蓮崗文化／青莲岗文化
• 非物質文化遺產／非物质文化遗产 (fēiwùzhì wénhuà yíchǎn)
• 響林史前文化／响林史前文化
• 馬家窯文化／马家窑文化
• 高雅文化 (gāoyǎ wénhuà)
• 麒麟文化
• 黑陶文化
• 龍山文化／龙山文化 (Lóngshān Wénhuà)
• 龜山史前文化相／龟山史前文化相

 

Proper noun

文化

1. (～里) An urban village in Tamsui district, New Taipei, Taiwan
2. (～社區) Wenhua (a residential community of Ruoqiang, Ruoqiang, Bayingolin prefecture, Xinjiang, China)

References

1. 日本国語大辞典 Nihonkokugodaijiten, bunka entry, glossary. https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96-128305
2. ibid.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
文	化
ぶん Grade: 1	か Grade: 3
kan'on

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Middle Chinese 文化 (mjun xwæH, “the way of educating by using morality, literature, rituals and music”), repurposed during the Meiji period as a translation of German Kultur.^[1]

Cited with the culture sense starting from roughly 1870.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ぶんか [búꜜǹkà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [bɯ̟̃ŋka̠]

Noun

 文化 on Japanese Wikipedia

文(ぶん)化(か) • (bunka) ^{←ぶんくわ (bunkwa)?}

1. culture
   • 1928, 岸田國士, 「語られる言葉」の美:

     これは、国語(こくご)の性格(せいかく)に、文化(ぶんか)の伝統(でんとう)、国民性(こくみんせい)の特質(とくしつ)が作用(さよう)するからである。

     Kore wa, kokugo no seikaku ni, bunka no dentō, kokuminsei no tokushitsu ga sayō suru kara de aru.

     The tradition of culture and the traits of the nation function to make the character of the national language.

Derived terms

• 文化遺産(ぶんかいさん) (bunka isan, “cultural heritage”)
• 文化映画(ぶんかえいが) (bunka eiga, “cultural film”)
• 文化圏(ぶんかけん) (bunkaken, “cultural sphere”)
• 文化圏固有動作(ぶんかけんこゆうどうさ) (bunkaken koyū dōsa, “(computing) locale-specific behavior”)
• 文化観光省(ぶんかかんこうしょう) (bunka-kankōshō, “Minister for Culture and Tourism”)
• 文化勲章(ぶんかくんしょう) (bunka kunshō, “Order of Culture”)
• 文化交流(ぶんかこうりゅう) (bunka kōryū, “cultural exchange”)
• 文化功労者(ぶんかこうろうしゃ) (bunkakōrōsha, “person who has made outstanding cultural contributions”)
• 文化国家(ぶんかこっか) (bunka kokka, “country with a high level of culture”)
• 文化祭(ぶんかさい) (bunkasai, “culture festival”)
• 文化財(ぶんかざい) (bunkazai, “cultural asset”)
• 文化財保護法(ぶんかざいほごほう) (bunkazai-hogohō, “Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties”)
• 文化史(ぶんかし) (bunkashi, “cultural history”)
• 文化施設(ぶんかしせつ) (bunka shisetsu, “cultural facility”)
• 文化省(ぶんかしょう) (bunkashō, “Ministry of Culture”)
• 文化心理学(ぶんかしんりがく) (bunkashinrigaku, “cultural psychology”)
• 文化事業部(ぶんかじぎょうぶ) (bunkajigyōbu, “Cultural Affairs Department”)
• 文化人(ぶんかじん) (bunkajin, “person of culture”)
• 文化人類学(ぶんかじんるいがく) (bunkajinruigaku, “cultural anthropology”)
• 文化大革命(ぶんかだいかくめい) (bunkadaikakumei, “Cultural Revolution”)
• 文化地理学(ぶんかちりがく) (bunkachirigaku, “cultural geography”)
• 文化的(ぶんかてき) (bunkateki, “cultural”)
• 文化庁(ぶんかちょう) (bunkachō, “Agency for Cultural Affairs”)
• 文化(ぶんか)の日(ひ) (bunka no hi, “Culture Day Holiday”)
• イスラム文化(ぶんか) (isuramu bunka, “Islamic culture”)
• 異文化(いぶんか) (ibunka, “foreign culture”)
• 映像文化(えいぞうぶんか) (eizōbunka, “visual culture”)
• 漢字文化(かんじぶんか) (kanjibunka, “kanji culture”)
• 漢字文化圏(かんじぶんかけん) (kanjibunkaken, “countries which use Chinese characters”)
• 芸術文化(げいじつぶんか)の破壊(はかい) (geijitsubunka no hakai, “vandalism”)
• 重要文化財(じゅうようぶんかざい) (jūyōbunkazai, “important cultural property”)
• 重要無形文化財(じゅうようむけいぶんかざい) (jūyōmukeibunkazai, “important intangible cultural asset”)
• 食文化(しょくぶんか) (shokubunka, “food culture”)
• 消費者文化(しょうひしゃぶんか) (shōhisha bunka, “consumer culture”)
• 大衆文化(たいしゅうぶんか) (taishū bunka, “mass culture, pop culture”)
• 多元文化論(たげんぶんかろん) (tagen bunkaron, “multiculturalism”)
• 多文化主義(たぶんかしゅぎ) (tabunkashugi, “multiculturalism”)
• 伝統文化(でんとうぶんか) (dentōbunka, “traditional culture”)
• 比較文化(ひかくぶんか) (hikakubunka, “comparative culture”)
• 無形文化財(むけいぶんかざい) (mukeibunkazai, “intangible cultural asset”)
• 明文化(めいぶんか) (meibunka, “stipulate”)
• 有形文化財(ゆうけいぶんかざい) (yūkeibunkazai, “tangible cultural properties”)

Descendants

• → Chinese: 文化 (wénhuà)^[2]
• → Korean: 문화 (munhwa)
• → Vietnamese: văn hoá

Proper noun

 文化 (元号) on Japanese Wikipedia

 Bunka on Wikipedia

文(ぶん)化(か) • (Bunka) 

1. The Bunka era, 1804-1818

See also

• 享和(きょうわ) (Kyōwa) (era preceding Bunka)
• 文政(ぶんせい) (Bunsei) (era following Bunka)

References

1. “文化”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
2. 汉语外来词词典 [Chinese Loanword Dictionary] (in Chinese), 1984, page 358

Korean

Hanja in this term
文	化

Noun

文化 • (munhwa) (hangeul 문화)

1. hanja form^? of 문화 (“culture”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
文	化

Noun

文化

1. chữ Hán form of văn hoá (“culture”).