推薦 and 推薦状: Recommending Something and Attaching a Letter
Compare a teacher's recommendation for a scholarship and a beginner's book recommendation with attaching a letter to an application. Distinguish the target, action, and document without adding selection.
Scholarship support and recommending a book
推薦 (すいせん) means a recommendation. 「先生の推薦を受けて奨学金に応募した。」 — “I applied for the scholarship with my teacher's recommendation.” The speaker applied for a scholarship with the teacher's recommendation. The sentence does not necessarily establish a letter's issuance or scholarship selection.
「図書館員が初心者向けの本を推薦してくれた。」 — “The librarian recommended a beginner's book.” The recommended item is a beginner's book. Do not change the target into a person recommended for hiring.
An attached letter and its stated contents
推薦状 (すいせんじょう) means a letter of recommendation. 「応募書類に先生の推薦状を添えました。」 — “I attached my teacher's letter of recommendation to the application.” The teacher's letter was attached to application documents. Do not identify this application as the separate scholarship application or equate attachment with approval.
「推薦状には彼女の長所が具体的に書かれています。」 — “The recommendation describes her strengths in specific terms.” The Japanese 推薦状 context makes the English recommendation a document reference. It describes her strengths specifically, without reporting a selection result.
An act of recommendation and a document carrying it
推薦 concerns support for a scholarship application or recommending a book. 推薦状 names the document carrying a recommendation; receiving a recommendation alone does not necessarily establish that a letter was issued.
Recommending a beginner's book and attaching a letter differ in target and form. Stated strengths or an attached letter do not establish acceptance or completed selection.
How does 推薦 of a beginner's book differ from attaching 推薦状 to an application?
Show the answer and why
The former recommends a book; the latter attaches a recommendation document. Their targets and forms differ, and attachment alone does not establish approval or selection by the organization.