Japanese word

格闘

Pronunciation

Romajikakutō

Meaning

  • nounstruggle

Example

彼は問題と格闘しています。kare wa mon dai to kaku tō shi te i ma su

He is struggling with a problem.

Illustration for 格闘 (struggle)

More examples

困難との格闘は、彼を大きく成長させました。kon nan to no kaku tō wa kare o ō ki ku sei chō sa se ma shi ta

Struggling with difficulties helped him grow as a person.

Core concept

Describes sustained effort against resistance, whether from an opponent or a difficult problem.

Common phrases

  • 問題と格闘するmon dai to kaku tō su ru

    struggle with a problem

  • 困難と格闘するkon nan to kaku tō su ru

    struggle with difficulties

  • 格闘を続けるkaku tō o tsuzu ke ru

    continue the struggle

Similar words

苦闘kutō: A difficult struggle against hardship or resistance.
奮闘funtō: A vigorous effort to overcome a difficult situation.
闘いtatakai: A contest or struggle against an opposing force or problem.

Definition in Japanese

相手や困難な物事に力を尽くして立ち向かうこと。ai te ya kon nan na mono goto ni chikara o tsu ku shi te ta chi mu ka u ko to

Word origin

格闘 (kakutō) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 格 (kaku, "to confront") and 闘 (tō, "to fight"), covering both physical combat and struggle against difficulty.

Usage tips

  • 格闘技 (kakutōgi) is used for combat sports such as boxing and wrestling, so 格闘 (kakutō) appears in sports talk as well as in discussions of difficult tasks.

Other meanings

  • combatnoun

Related words

  • 格闘するkakutōsurustruggleverb
  • 格闘家kakutōkafighternoun

Word lists with this word