全部
ぜんぶ
zenbu
= all; everything; the whole; entirely
全部 (zenbu) means all, everything, or the whole of something — one of the most frequently used words in everyday Japanese. Whether you want to say ‘eat it all,’ ‘tell me everything,’ or ‘the whole thing costs 3,000 yen,’ zenbu is the word that does the job. Understanding how it differs from similar words like みんな and すべて is key to using it naturally.
Zenbu (全部) means all, everything, or the entirety of something. Usage: 全部食べる (zenbu taberu — to eat all of it), 全部で (zenbu de — in total, altogether), 全部話す (zenbu hanasu — to tell everything). Related totality words: すべて (subete — all/everything, more formal/written), みんな (minna — everyone/all [for people]), 全員 (zen’in — all members/everyone). Difference: zenbu applies to things and quantities; minna applies primarily to people; subete is more formal and applies to abstract totality.
全部で (zenbu de — in total/altogether) is extremely common in everyday conversation and shopping: 「全部でいくらですか？」(zenbu de ikura desu ka? — How much is it in total?). 全部 can function as both a noun and adverb: 「全部食べた」(zenbu tabeta — ate all of it) vs. 「全部がおいしかった」(zenbu ga oishikatta — everything was delicious). When you want to emphasize ‘absolutely everything without exception,’ 全部 works; for the more emphatic ‘every single one,’ 全て (subete) or 全員 (zen’in, for people) may be stronger.
全部 combines 全 (zen/mattaku — whole, entire, perfect, all) + 部 (bu/be — part, section, department, category). The combination is notable: 部 means ‘part’ or ‘section,’ yet 全部 means ‘the whole’ — all the parts together. 全 appears in: 全国 (zenkoku — nationwide, all of Japan), 全員 (zen’in — all members), 完全 (kanzen — perfect, complete). The radical in 全 (入 over 王) suggests completeness entering or filling the king.
Everyday use
このケーキ、全部自分で作ったんですか？すごいですね。
Kono keeki, zenbu jibun de tsukutta n desu ka? Sugoi desu ne.
Did you make this entire cake yourself? That’s impressive.
Casual / Social Media
今日の動画全部見た！！最後まで面白かった 次の動画楽しみにしてます
Kyou no douga zenbu mita!! Saigo made omoshirokatta Tsugi no douga tanoshimi ni shitemas
I watched the whole video today!! It was interesting right to the end. Looking forward to the next one
Formal / Cultural context
「全部」は日本語の総括表現において最も汎用性の高い語彙の一つであり、具体的数量・抽象的集合・時間的全体にわたり適用可能な包括指示詞として機能する。「すべて」との比較においては「全部」がより口語的・具体的な全体性を示すのに対し、「すべて」は文語的・抽象的な全体性に傾き、フォーマルな文書・談話において優先される傾向がある。
‘Zenbu’ wa Nihongo no soukatsu hyougen ni oite mottomo han’yousei no takai goi no hitotsu de ari, gutaiteki suuryou chushouteki shuugou jikanteki zentai ni watari tekiyou kanou na houkatsu shijishi toshite kinou suru. ‘Subete’ to no hikaku ni oite wa ‘zenbu’ ga yori kougo-teki gutaiteki na zentai-sei wo shimesu no ni taishi, ‘subete’ wa bungo-teki chuushouteki na zentai-sei ni katamuki, foomaru na bunsho danwa ni oite yusenzareru keikouganaru.
‘Zenbu’ is one of the most versatile vocabulary items in Japanese comprehensive expressions, functioning as an inclusive demonstrative that can be applied to specific quantities, abstract sets, and temporal wholes. In comparison with ‘subete,’ ‘zenbu’ indicates a more colloquial, concrete totality, while ‘subete’ leans toward literary, abstract totality and tends to be preferred in formal written and spoken contexts.
The Japanese concept of totality expressed in 全部 connects to cultural attitudes around completion and thoroughness. Japanese service culture (おもてなし, omotenashi) values attending to all aspects of an experience — 全部 is the standard of completeness expected in many service contexts. In restaurants, finishing your food completely (complete → 全部食べる) is considered a compliment to the chef; leaving food is sometimes seen as wasteful or indifferent.
全部 appears frequently in Japanese expressions of emotional openness and honesty. 「全部話して」(zenbu hanashite — tell me everything) and 「全部わかってる」(zenbu wakatteru — I understand everything about you) are common in relationships and fiction, representing the desire for total transparency. The willingness to 全部見せる (zenbu miseru — show everything, hold nothing back) is associated with authentic connection in Japanese interpersonal culture, contrasting with the more common social practice of 本音と建て前 (honne to tatemae — inner truth and outward expression) that keeps some things hidden.
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