How to say "feud" in Japanese

Choosing the right word
  • 争いあらそいJLPT N1approx.Common
    nounThe most general of the three: any fight, dispute, or conflict, including a feud as an ongoing quarrel between people or groups. Use it for the quarreling or clashing itself, whether physical or verbal.
    金銭きんせんのことで彼かれと争あらそいになった。↗
    I had a quarrel with him over money.
  • 抗争こうそうJLPT N1approx.Common
    noun, suru verb, intransitive verbFeud as a prolonged conflict between opposing groups or factions, typical of gang wars or factional strife. It suggests organized camps locked in sustained confrontation rather than a private quarrel.
    新聞しんぶんは2党とう間かんの抗争こうそうを報ほうじた。↗
    The newspaper reported friction between the two parties.
  • 不和ふわCommon
    nounDiscord or bad blood between people: the state of being on poor terms, not the fighting itself. Use it for the strained relationship behind a feud; for open clashes, 争い or 抗争 fits better.
    2人ふたりの少年しょうねんは口論こうろんがもとで不和ふわになった。↗
    A quarrel estranged one boy from the other.

Choose 「争い」 for a feud as an ongoing quarrel or conflict in general, 抗争 for a prolonged conflict between opposing groups or factions, and 不和 for the discord or bad blood behind it rather than the fighting.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents
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JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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