1. Meaning and Usage
The core meaning of the kanji 部 is "section," "department," "part," "group," or "club." It signifies a division or a segment of a larger whole, such as an organization, a publication, or a category.
It is an extremely common kanji in both institutional and social contexts.
Common Readings and Words:
ぶ (bu): The most common reading, used to denote a part or a department.
部分 (bubun): Part, portion. (部-part + 分-division)
部長 (buchō): Department manager. (部-department + 長-chief)
学部 (gakubu): Faculty (of a university). (学-study + 部-department)
~べ (~be): Used as a suffix for groups, especially in school settings.
部活 (bukatsu): Abbreviation for 部活動 (bukatsudō), meaning "club activity."
サッカー部 (sakkā-bu): Soccer club.
文化部 (bunka-bu): Cultural club (e.g., art, music).
2. Correct Stroke Order
Writing 部 correctly is crucial for balance. The kanji is divided into two clear parts: the left 咅 component and the right 阝(city) radical.
Total Strokes: 11
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
Left Component: 咅
Stroke 1: Dot on the top.
Stroke 2: Horizontal stroke below the dot.
Stroke 3: Left-falling stroke from the center.
Stroke 4: Right-falling stroke (dot) for balance.
Stroke 5: Horizontal stroke below the previous two.
Stroke 6: "Mouth" component: Left vertical.
Stroke 7: "Mouth" component: Top horizontal and right vertical (one stroke).
Stroke 8: "Mouth" component: Bottom horizontal (closing the box).
Right Radical: 阝 (Oozato - City Mound)
Stroke 9: The left-falling curve stroke.
Stroke 10: The vertical stroke with a slight hook at the end.
Key Stroke Order Rules Applied:
Left to Right: The entire left component (咅) is written before the right radical (阝).
Top to Bottom: This rule governs the order within the 咅 component.
3. Historical Origins and Etymology (The "Story" Behind the Kanji)
The history of 部 is a great example of how a kanji's meaning evolves from a concrete action to an abstract concept. It is classified as a 形声文字 (keisei moji) or phonetic-ideographic compound.
Let's break down its components:
Semantic Component (Meaning): 阝 (Oozato)
This radical, placed on the right, is the "city" or "mound" radical. It indicates that the character's original meaning was related to a settlement, district, or administrative area.
Phonetic Component (Sound & Origin): 咅 (tou)
This component provided the ancient Chinese pronunciation. However, 咅 itself is a compound character. It is made of 立 (stand) and 口 (mouth). The original meaning of 咅 was to "spit out" or "reject," which is the origin of the modern character 吐 (to spit).
The Combined Meaning and Evolution:
So, how do "spitting" and "city" combine to mean "department" or "group"?
The key is a process called "loan usage" (仮借 kasha). The character 部 was borrowed for its sound, and its original meaning was largely abandoned. The core idea that developed was "to distribute" or "to assign."
Imagine an ancient ruler in a capital city (阝) distributing (a meaning derived from the act of "spitting out" many things) land and people into different groups. These assigned groups became the "tribes," "divisions," or "sections" under his administration.
From this administrative meaning of dividing a region or people into groups, the meaning naturally expanded to include:
Sections of a book (e.g., 第一部 dai-ichi bu - Part 1)
Departments in a company (営業部 eigyō-bu - Sales Department)
Clubs in a school (野球部 yakyū-bu - Baseball Club)
4. Example Sentences
Here are some example sentences showing the different uses of 部.
As a Department (ぶ):
Romaji: Chichi wa eigyō-bu no buchō desu.
English: My father is the manager of the sales department.
父は営業部の部長です。
As a Club (ぶ):
Romaji: Kōkō jidai, suisōgaku-bu ni haitte imashita.
English: In high school, I was in the wind orchestra club.
高校時代、吹奏楽部に入っていました。
As a Part/Section (ぶ):
Romaji: Kono bubun no imi ga wakarimasen.
English: I don't understand the meaning of this part.
この部分の意味がわかりません。
Summary
Meaning: Section, department, part, group, club.
Writing: 11 strokes. Write the left component 咅 first, then the right "city" radical 阝.
Origin: A phonetic-ideographic compound. It originally combined the "city" radical (阝) with a phonetic component (咅) meaning "to spit," which evolved to mean "to distribute." This led to the concept of dividing a population or area into administered "sections" or "tribes," which is the basis for all its modern meanings.