エッセイ
えっせい
noun
essay, personal essay
1.
essay, personal essay, informal writing
A short piece of writing on a personal topic, expressing the author's thoughts, experiences, or observations. In Japanese, this refers to the literary essay genre rather than academic papers.
エッセイを書く。
To write an essay.
あの作家のエッセイは読みやすくて面白い。
That author's essays are easy to read and interesting.
日常の些細なことをテーマにしたエッセイ集がベストセラーになった。
A collection of essays about little everyday things became a bestseller.
USAGE:
In Japanese, エッセイ specifically refers to personal or literary essays — informal writing about daily life, observations, and feelings. It does not refer to academic papers or formal reports, which are 論文. The Japanese literary tradition of 随筆 (miscellaneous essays) dates back to classics like 枕草子 and 徒然草. Modern エッセイ is seen as a continuation of this tradition.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- エッセイ集: essay collection
- エッセイを書く: to write an essay
- エッセイスト: essayist
- 旅のエッセイ: travel essay