How to say "war" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 戦いくさnounCovers war in the sense of fighting or a campaign, often with a literary or historical flavor; it also means a single battle. Typical of narratives about past wars and battles rather than neutral factual statements.
- 戦争せんそうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe straightforward word for war as organized armed conflict between countries, and the usual choice for neutral statements about wars, their causes, or their history. If you mean 'war' in the plainest sense, this is the word you want.
- 戦いたたかいnounMeans a battle, fight, or struggle, and can also refer to a war; it emphasizes the fighting itself and extends naturally to figurative struggles. Suits descriptions of combat or conflict rather than war as an abstract institution.
- 交戦こうせんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbRefers to hostilities or engagement between opposing forces, so it is really about the state of being at war or in combat rather than war as a whole event. It is seldom the word you want for 'war' in general.わが軍は敵と交戦した。↗Our troops engaged with the enemy.
- 動乱どうらんnounPrimarily means disturbance, upheaval, or unrest, with 'war' only as a marginal sense. For a period of turmoil or civil disorder it works well, but it is not the usual way to say 'war' itself.
For 'war' as an armed conflict between nations, 戦争 is the default; 戦 and 「戦い」 cover war or battle more broadly, 交戦 stresses hostilities between forces, and 動乱 is really an upheaval or unrest.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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