Chinese

Noun

文字

1. written symbols; writing; script; text; characters   (Classifier: 種／种; 個／个)
2. writing style wording; language   (Classifier: 種／种; 個／个)

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese compound 文字 ‎(mjun dzi^H, literally “writing + character”). Compare modern Cantonese reading man⁴ zi⁶.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) も​んじ [móꜜǹjì] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [mõ̞nd͡ʑi]

Noun

文字 ‎(hiragana もんじ, romaji monji)

1. a letter, a character (symbol for a sound or a word)
2. (linguistics) script, writing system
3. (specific to Japanese) a written mora, a kana
4. writing in general, written words
5. (by extension from the “writing” sense) a document
6. (by extension from the “writing” sense) reading and writing
7. (by extension from the “writing” sense) studies

Usage notes

This reading is less common than moji below.

Etymology 2

/mond͡ʑi/ → /mod͡ʑi/

Sound shift from monji above.^[3]

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• (Tokyo) も​じ [móꜜjì] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [mo̞d͡ʑi]

Noun

文字 ‎(hiragana もじ, romaji moji)

1. a letter or character (symbol for a sound or a word)
2. (linguistics) script, writing system
3. (specific to Japanese) a written mora, a kana
4. writing in general, written words
5. (by extension from the “writing” sense) a document
6. (by extension from the “writing” sense) reading and writing
7. (by extension from the “writing” sense) studies
8. (chiefly Kansai) the tails side of a coin, the side with writing on it
9. (chiefly Kansai, by extension) a coin, money

Usage notes

This reading is more common than monji above.

The tails and coin, money senses are specific to this moji reading.^[3]

Derived terms

References

1. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. 1 2 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3
3. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

Korean

Noun

文字 • ‎(munja) ‎(hangeul 문자)

1. Hanja form^? of 문자, “letter”.