試合・仕合|しあいshiai[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
試合試合 is the most common form and the recommended choice for beginners; it is written with kanji only, whose use is phonetic.
仕合仕合 is a less common alternative to 試合; it is written with kanji only, with the kanji used phonetically, and you will seldom encounter it.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbmatch; game; bout; contest
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 試合する（しあいする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 試合します（しあいします） |
| Negative (nai) | 試合しない（しあいしない） |
| polite (masen) | 試合しません（しあいしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 試合せず・試合せぬ（しあいせず・しあいせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 試合した（しあいした） |
| polite (mashita) | 試合しました（しあいしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 試合しなかった（しあいしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 試合しませんでした（しあいしませんでした） |
| Te form | 試合して（しあいして） |
| Potential | 試合できる（しあいできる） |
| Passive | 試合される（しあいされる） |
| Causative | 試合させる（しあいさせる） |
| Causative passive | 試合させられる（しあいさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 試合すれば（しあいすれば） |
| tara | 試合したら（しあいしたら） |
| Volitional | 試合しよう（しあいしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 試合しましょう（しあいしましょう） |
| Imperative | 試合しろ（しあいしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymゲームCasualColloquial loanword for games, matches or a tennis game, as in 「ゲームセット」; 「試合」 stresses winning under rules in sports, martial arts or board games.
- Synonym競技きょうぎNeutralNeutral; covers rule-governed competition and can name the sport or discipline itself, as in 「陸上競技」.
- SynonymマッチNeutralNeutral loanword for a match-up, mostly in compounds like 「タイトルマッチ」; also means things going well together, a sense 「試合」 lacks.
- RelatedコンテストWrittenUsed in written/formal prose for contests judging works or skill, e.g. 「写真コンテスト」; a loanword, not a head-to-head match like 「試合」.
- RelatedコンクールFormalFormal French loanword for judged competitions in music, art and the like, e.g. 「ピアノコンクール」.
- RelatedコンペCasualColloquial short form for a golf competition or a design contest, e.g. 「設計コンペ」.
- RelatedコンペティションFormalFormal loanword for competition, seen at film festivals and in golf.
- Related勝負しょうぶNeutralNeutral word for settling a win or loss, centering on the outcome itself, as in 「勝負をつける」.
- Related取り組みとりくみNeutralNeutral word for a sumo bout or pairing; also effort devoted to a cause, as in 「環境への取り組み」.
- RelatedくらべCasualColloquial; mostly a suffix for comparison, as in 「力比べ」「背比べ」; the comparison need not involve winning or losing.
- Related戦いたたかいWrittenUsed in written/formal prose for battle or struggle, far broader than 「試合」, as in 「病気との戦い」.
- Related競争きょうそうNeutralNeutral; covers competition and rivalry, in sports and beyond, as in 「競争が激しい」; unlike 「試合」, it does not specifically denote a match.
- Related一戦いっせんNeutralNeutral word for a single battle or bout, as in 「一戦を交える」.
- Related競り合いせりあいNeutralNeutral word for a close, evenly matched tussle, as in 「激しい競り合い」.
- Related争いあらそいNeutralNeutral word for disputes and feuds, but also a race for a title, as in 「優勝争い」; reaches well beyond matches.
- Related対抗たいこうWrittenUsed in written/formal prose for pitting oneself against a rival, as in 「対抗戦」「対抗意識」.
- Related対戦たいせんNeutralNeutral word for two sides facing each other, as in 「対戦相手」; stresses the match-up itself.
- Related合戦かっせんFormalFormal word for battles of old, also kept in contest names like 「歌合戦」.
- Related争奪そうだつWrittenUsed in written/formal prose for scrambling to seize something, as in 「優勝争奪戦」; the prize is the focus.
- Related競りせりNeutralNeutral; used for auction bidding or jostling with rivals during a contest, as in 「競りに勝つ」.
- Related腕比べうでくらべCasualColloquial word for pitting skill or strength against another's, as in 「腕比べをする」.
- Antonym練習れんしゅうNeutralNeutral antonym of 「試合」: practice done to prepare for one.
Use 「試合」 for a formal match, 「競技」 for the sport or event, 「勝負」 to focus on winning or losing, and 「対戦」 for who faces whom. Choose 「コンテスト」 or 「コンクール」 for judged works or skills, 「競争」 for competition in sports or elsewhere, and 「練習」 for practice in preparation for a match.
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
