Chinese

Noun

文化

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

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

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

   公司文化  ―  gōngsī wénhuà  ―  company culture

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

Usage notes

Like the term "culture" in English, 文化 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". 文化 however cannot refer to "culture" in the biological sense; instead the term 培養／培养 (péiyǎng) is used.

Derived terms

Descendants

Japanese

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 文化 ‎(mjun xwæH, “the way of educating by using morality, literature and music”)

Noun

文化 ‎(hiragana ぶんか, romaji bunka)

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

Descendants

• Chinese: 文化
• Korean: 문화 (munhwa)
• Vietnamese: văn hoá

Korean

Noun

文化 • ‎(munhwa) ‎(hangeul 문화)

1. Hanja form^? of 문화, “culture”.

Vietnamese

Noun

文化

1. Hán tự form of văn hóa, “culture”