Japanese word

戦争

Pronunciation

Romajisensō

Meaning

  • nounwar

Example

戦争が終わりました。sen sō ga o wa ri ma shi ta

The war ended.

Illustration for 戦争 (war)

More examples

ニュースで戦争の話を聞きました。nyū su de sen sō no hanashi o ki ki ma shi ta

I heard about a war on the news.

Core concept

Refers to sustained fighting between countries or groups using armed force.

Common phrases

  • 戦争を始めるsen sō o haji me ru

    start a war

  • 戦争に反対するsen sō ni han tai su ru

    oppose war

Similar words

紛争funsō: A serious conflict between countries or groups that may involve armed force.
戦闘sentō: Fighting between armed forces in a specific place or operation.
戦いtatakai: A particular period or instance of fighting between opposing forces.
争いarasoi: A conflict between people or groups over opposing interests.

Definition in Japanese

国家や集団が武力で争うこと。kok ka ya shū dan ga bu ryoku de araso u ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 戦争 (sensō, "war") combines 戦 (sen, "battle") with 争 (sō, "conflict").

Usage tips

  • The word 戦争 (sensō) can describe both a past conflict and one happening now, with time expressions or context showing when it took place.

Opposites

Word lists with this word