World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesBildungsroman
/ˈbɪl.dʊŋs.roʊˌmɑːn/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A novel that deals with the formative years, moral development, and psychological growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.
"Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is considered a classic nineteenth-century bildungsroman." - 2
A story or narrative focusing on personal transformation and coming-of-age experiences.
"The film serves as a modern cinematic bildungsroman about an aspiring artist finding her voice."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Borrowed directly into English from German in the late 19th century, the term is a compound of Bildung (meaning 'education', 'formation', or 'cultivation') and Roman (meaning 'novel'). It originally emerged in German literary criticism to describe narrative works focused on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Bildungsroman"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Bildungsroman" is said worldwide
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roman d'apprentissage
Transliteration: ʁɔ.mɑ̃ d‿a.pʁɑ̃.ti.sjɔ̃
"Ce livre est un magnifique roman d'apprentissage."
Bildungsroman
Transliteration: ˈbɪldʊŋsʁoˌmaːn
"Goethes Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre ist der archetypische Bildungsroman."
romanzo di formazione
Transliteration: roˈmandzo di formazˈtsjone
"Il romanzo di formazione descrive il passaggio dall'adolescenza all'età adulta."
novela de formación
Transliteration: noˈβela de formaˈsjon
"La novela de formación explora la madurez psicológica del protagonista."
romance de formação
Transliteration: ʁoˈmɐ̃si dʒi foʁmaˈsɐ̃w
"O romance de formação retrata a jornada de autodescoberta do jovem."
विकास उपन्यास
Transliteration: vikas upanyas
"यह पुस्तक एक उत्कृष्ट विकास उपन्यास है।"
成长小说
Transliteration: chéngzhǎng xiǎoshuō
"这本小说是一部经典的成长小说。"
성장 소설
Transliteration: seongjang soseol
"이 소설은 전형적인 성장 소설입니다."
成長小説
Transliteration: seichō shōsetsu
"その本は主人公の精神的成長を描いた成長小説である。"
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