How to say "army" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 軍ぐんnounThe broad word for a country's armed forces; it covers 'army' in the general sense of military power or troops as a whole, and is the natural choice when no particular branch is meant.
- 陸軍りくぐんnounRefers specifically to the land branch of a nation's military, the ground forces, as opposed to the navy or air force; choose it when English 'army' names that branch.
- 軍勢ぐんぜいnounCovers a force of troops, and can also mean the number of soldiers; use it when speaking of a host of troops and its size, not the army as an institution.
- 兵へいnounReally points to soldiers or troops, the fighting men, rather than the army as an institution, so it is seldom the word you want when English says 'army'.
Use 軍 for armed forces generally, 陸軍 when 'army' means the land branch, 軍勢 for a body of troops with its size in view, and 兵 for troops or soldiers rather than the army as an institution.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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