Explore the vocabulary of Japanese woodblock prints through the work of artists and craftspeople.

The idea

浮世絵 means ukiyo-e, a genre of images associated with the floating world. 木版 is a woodblock; 彫る means to carve, and 摺る means to print by rubbing. 絵の具 is pigment or paint. The examples use modern polite Japanese.

Patterns to compare
JapaneseMeaning
木版もくはんwoodblock
絵えの具ぐpigment or paint
彫ほるto carve
摺するto print by rubbing
浮世絵うきよえukiyo-e

Examples

  • 絵師えしは浮世絵うきよえのために絵えを描かきました。The artist drew a picture for an ukiyo-e print.
  • 彫師ほりしは木版もくはんに図柄ずがらを彫ほりました。The carver carved the design into a woodblock.
  • 摺師すりしは版はんに絵えの具ぐをつけました。The printer applied pigment to the block.
  • 摺師すりしは版はんに紙かみを置おき、ばれんでこすりました。The printer placed paper on the block and rubbed it with a baren.
  • この版画はんがの色いろはきれいです。The colours of this print are beautiful.
  • 美術館びじゅつかんで浮世絵うきよえの風景画ふうけいがを見みました。I saw an ukiyo-e landscape at the museum.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

浮世絵 names a genre, while 木版 refers to a printing block or woodblock technique. Not every ukiyo-e is a woodblock print.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the word for a woodblock: （木版もくはん／絵えの具ぐ）

    Show answer or example answer

    木版

    木版 is a woodblock; 絵の具 is pigment or paint.

  2. Choose the verb meaning to carve: （彫ほる／摺する）

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    彫る

    彫る means to carve; 摺る means to print by rubbing.

  3. Choose the word for ukiyo-e: （浮世絵うきよえ／木版もくはん）

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    浮世絵

    浮世絵 is ukiyo-e; 木版 is a woodblock.

Use it today

Describe how an imagined print is made, using 木版 and 摺る.