侵略・侵掠|しんりゃくshinryaku[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
侵略侵略 is the most common written form and consists only of kanji; use it when writing about this meaning in Japanese.
侵掠侵掠 is a rarely used form written only with kanji; you will seldom encounter it, so choose 侵略 instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbinvasion (e.g. of a country); raid; aggression
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 侵略する（しんりゃくする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 侵略します（しんりゃくします） |
| Negative (nai) | 侵略しない（しんりゃくしない） |
| polite (masen) | 侵略しません（しんりゃくしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 侵略せず・侵略せぬ（しんりゃくせず・しんりゃくせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 侵略した（しんりゃくした） |
| polite (mashita) | 侵略しました（しんりゃくしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 侵略しなかった（しんりゃくしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 侵略しませんでした（しんりゃくしませんでした） |
| Te form | 侵略して（しんりゃくして） |
| Potential | 侵略できる（しんりゃくできる） |
| Passive | 侵略される（しんりゃくされる） |
| Causative | 侵略させる（しんりゃくさせる） |
| Causative passive | 侵略させられる（しんりゃくさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 侵略すれば（しんりゃくすれば） |
| tara | 侵略したら（しんりゃくしたら） |
| Volitional | 侵略しよう（しんりゃくしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 侵略しましょう（しんりゃくしましょう） |
| Imperative | 侵略しろ（しんりゃくしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym侵攻しんこうWrittenWritten style for troops attacking into another country, as in 「軍事侵攻」; it stresses the concrete military move, while 「侵略」 stresses the violation of sovereignty.
- Synonym侵入しんにゅうNeutralEntering without permission, as in 「住居侵入」; far broader than 「侵略」 and not limited to countries.
- Synonym侵犯しんぱんWrittenWritten style for violating airspace or rights, as in 「領空侵犯」; stresses crossing a boundary rather than invasion as such.
- Synonym侵すおかすWrittenA verb for violating or infringing, as in 「主権を侵す」; leans written, and covers rights and airspace too.
- Related来襲らいしゅうWrittenWritten style for an enemy or typhoon coming to attack; stresses an assault arriving from outside.
- Related攻略こうりゃくNeutralCapturing enemy territory or cracking a hard problem; in modern usage mostly about game strategy guides rather than military invasion.
- Related攻め込むせめこむNeutralTo push one's way into enemy positions or territory; it describes the attacking move itself, while 「侵略」 names the violation of sovereignty.
- Related占領せんりょうNeutralOccupying territory or hogging a seat; stresses taking and holding a place rather than the invasion itself.
- Related占拠せんきょWrittenWritten style for seizing and holding a place by force, as in 「不法占拠」; about occupation, not invasion.
- Related乱入らんにゅうNeutralBursting in wildly, as when 「観客が乱入」; suggests a chaotic scene, nothing like a state's aggression.
- Related襲来しゅうらいWrittenWritten style for an enemy or disaster coming to attack; solemn in tone.
- Related侵襲しんしゅうWrittenWritten style for germs or disasters assailing something; leans medical, unlike the country-level 「侵略」.
- Related入寇にゅうこうWrittenWritten style for a foreign enemy invading; mostly seen in historical accounts.
- Related蚕食さんしょくWrittenWritten style for encroaching bit by bit, like a silkworm eating leaves; stresses gradualness, unlike 「侵略」.
- Related攻め入るせめいるWrittenWritten-style verb for attacking into enemy territory; close in meaning to 「攻め込む」.
- Related討ち入るうちいるWrittenTo storm an enemy's residence or castle; carries a historical flavor.
- Related闖入ちんにゅうWrittenWritten style for forcing one's way in, as in 「闖入者」; suggests an uninvited intruder.
- Related侵寇しんこうWrittenWritten style for invading and occupying to do harm; rarely used in modern Japanese.
- Antonym平和へいわNeutralPeace; the opposite of 「侵略」 in contexts such as aggressive war.
- Antonym防衛ぼうえいNeutralDefense; the counterpart to 「侵略」's active violation, as in 「自衛のための防衛」.
Use 「侵略」 for one-sided violation of another country's sovereignty or territory, as in 「侵略戦争」. For a concrete military push into another country say 「侵攻」; for entering without permission, 「侵入」; for crossing a line such as airspace or rights, 「侵犯」. Other words narrow to particular scenes: capture (「攻略」「占領」), barging in (「乱入」「闖入」), gradual encroachment (「蚕食」), an enemy or disaster arriving (「来襲」「襲来」). As a verb, 「侵す」 covers infringing sovereignty or rights. The opposites are 「防衛」 and 「平和」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
