How to say "fighting" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 対戦たいせんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbFighting against an opponent, as in taking on or facing someone in a match or game. The nuance is one-to-one opposition, so it fits contexts where you confront a specific rival or team.
- 合戦かっせんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA battle or engagement between armed forces; fighting in the military sense. It suggests a large clash between armies rather than personal combat or metaphorical competition.
- 戦争せんそうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbFighting in the sense of war, and by extension fierce competition between rivals such as companies. Use it when the fighting is sustained and large-scale, literal or figurative.
- 修羅しゅらnounFighting as carnage, conflict, or strife, with a chaotic, hellish nuance. It is really a word for brutal, turbulent scenes of struggle, so it is seldom the neutral everyday word for fighting.
Choose 対戦 for fighting an opponent in a game or match, 合戦 for a battle between armies, 戦争 for war or fierce competition, and 修羅 for carnage or chaotic strife.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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