文系

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 文系, read ぶんけい, and it combines 文, meaning letters or humanities, with 系, meaning branch or field.
• Basic usage: 文系 means the humanities or liberal-arts track centered on language, culture, society, and related fields.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An academic department's track and a student group collaborating with science students
  • Both examples use the form 文系. It identifies the department in which an older sister studies history and distinguishes humanities students working with science students on one assignment.
• A sister studying history and two tracks sharing an assignment
  • 姉は文系の学部で歴史を学んでいる。 — My sister studies history in a humanities department.
  • 文系と理系の学生が一緒に課題へ取り組んだ。 — Humanities and science students worked on the assignment together.