Japanese word

兵隊

Pronunciation

Romajiheitai

Meaning

  • nounsoldier

Example

昔、父は兵隊でした。mukashi chichi wa hei tai de shi ta

My father was a soldier.

Illustration for 兵隊 (soldier)

More examples

彼は国を守るために兵隊になりました。kare wa kuni o mamo ru ta me ni hei tai ni na ri ma shi ta

He became a soldier to protect his country.

Core concept

Describes a person who serves as a member of an organized military force and carries out its assigned duties.

Common phrases

  • 兵隊になるhei tai ni na ru

    become a soldier

Similar words

兵士heishi: It denotes a military servicemember of no specified rank and has a formal or written tone.
軍人gunjin: A person who belongs to the military, including officers and other ranks.

Definition in Japanese

軍隊に所属し、戦闘や警備などの任務に従事する者。gun tai ni sho zoku shi sen tō ya kei bi na do no nin mu ni jū ji su ru mono

Word origin

兵隊 (heitai) combines 兵 (hei, "soldier") and 隊 (tai, "group or unit"), so the compound denotes a person belonging to a military unit.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 兵隊 (heitai) usually means an ordinary soldier, whereas 軍人 (gunjin) is a broader term that can include officers.

Other meanings

  • troopsnoun
  • militarynoun

Word lists with this word