How to say "tactics" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 作戦さくせんnounTactics as a concrete plan of action for a battle, game, or undertaking — the scheme you work out and carry out. It also covers strategy in the sense of a larger plan of operations.
- 戦略せんりゃくno-adjectiveIts core sense is strategy: large-scale planning directed at an overall goal. 'Tactics' is a secondary rendering, and for tactics in the strict sense 戦術 is the word you want.
- 戦術せんじゅつno-adjectiveThe direct equivalent of 'tactics': methods and maneuvers for gaining the upper hand in a battle or match. The usual choice for military tactics and for tactical play in sports and games.
- 戦法せんぽうnounTactics as a specific method or style of fighting or playing — how a fighter or player goes about a contest, as in martial arts, board games, and sports.
- 兵法へいほうnounDenotes the art of war: the craft and principles of fighting and warfare as a whole. For 'tactics' in the ordinary sense this is seldom the word you want.
Choose 戦術 for tactics as methods of fighting, 作戦 for a concrete plan of action, 戦法 for a particular way or style of fighting, 戦略 mainly for larger-scale strategy, and 兵法 for the art of war itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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