How to say "cavalry" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 騎兵きへいnounCovers both the arm and the individual soldier, as in 'cavalry; cavalryman; trooper'. The most common choice; use it unless you specifically mean the unit as an organization.
- 騎兵隊きへいたいnounRefers to cavalry as a formed body or unit, the collective force rather than the individual rider. Less common than 騎兵; appropriate when speaking of a cavalry regiment or troop as such.
- 馬軍うまいくさnounA marginal way to say 'cavalry', with an old-fashioned, literary flavor; seldom the word you want in ordinary contexts. Prefer 騎兵 or 騎兵隊 except when deliberately evoking historical or archaic usage.
Use 騎兵 for cavalry or an individual cavalryman, 騎兵隊 for a cavalry unit as an organized body, and 馬軍 only rarely, as an old-style word for cavalry forces.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents


