The art of the essay
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词汇
- 随筆essay / personal essay
- 論説文argumentative essay
- 接続詞conjunction
- 論理展開logical development
- 起承転結4-part essay structure
- 要旨gist / main point
- 根拠basis / grounds
- 反論counterargument
- 譲歩concession
- 帰結conclusion / consequence
- 段落paragraph
- 首尾一貫consistency / coherence
The Art of the Essay
Japanese essay writing encompasses both the traditional 随筆 (personal essay) and the modern 論説文 (argumentative essay), each with distinct conventions.
Zuihitsu vs Argumentative Essay
随筆 (zuihitsu, "following the brush") is a uniquely Japanese genre of personal, reflective writing. 枕草子 by Sei Shonagon is the genre's masterpiece. In contrast, 論説文 presents a structured argument with evidence.
Logical Connectors
Japanese essays depend on precise conjunctions:
- したがって — therefore (logical consequence)
- 一方で — on the other hand (contrast)
- とはいえ — that said / nevertheless
- そもそも — in the first place / fundamentally
- すなわち — namely / in other words
The 起承転結 Structure
Traditional Japanese essay structure:
- 起 — introduction (raise the topic)
- 承 — development (expand on it)
- 転 — twist (introduce a new angle)
- 結 — conclusion (tie it together)
The ability to write persuasive essays in Japanese — whether personal reflections or formal arguments — represents the apex of written proficiency.
表达
- したがって〜と言えるTherefore, one can say that~ (logical conclusion)
- 一方で〜という見方もあるOn the other hand, there is the view that~
- とはいえ〜を否定できないThat said, one cannot deny that~
- そもそも〜が問われるべきだFundamentally, ~ should be questioned
- 首尾一貫した論理展開A coherent logical development
- 以上を踏まえて結論を述べるBased on the above, I state my conclusion
常见错误
だから〜と思いますしたがって〜と考えられるだから is conversational. したがって is academic. 思います (I think) is subjective; 考えられる (it can be considered) is analytical.
でも〜もある一方で〜という側面もあるでも is too casual for essays. 一方で provides academic contrast, and 側面 (aspect) adds analytical precision.
最初に〜を書きますまず〜について論じる書きます (I will write) is meta-commentary. 論じる (to discuss/argue) is the academic verb for essay writing.
起承転結の結は結論だ起承転結の結は全体をまとめる部分だ結 is not simply a conclusion — it ties together all elements, including the twist (転). It is a synthesis, not just a summary.
随筆は作文と同じだ随筆は個人的な省察を含む文学形式だ作文 (composition) is a school assignment. 随筆 is a literary genre with a distinguished 1000-year history.
小测验
第 1 题，共 5 题
「basis / grounds」用日语怎么说？
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