Chinese word

战争

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhàn zhēng

Meaning

  • nounwar

Example

战争让人们饱受痛苦。zhàn zhēng ràng rén men bǎo shòu tòng kǔ

War makes people suffer greatly.

Illustration for 战争 (war)

More examples

这场战争造成了巨大的经济损失。zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng zào chéng le jù dà de jīng jì sǔn shī

This war caused huge economic losses.

Core concept

A large-scale struggle in which organized groups use arms to force a political or material outcome.

Common phrases

  • 爆发战争bào fā zhàn zhēng

    a war breaks out

  • 发动战争fā dòng zhàn zhēng

    wage war

  • 结束战争jié shù zhàn zhēng

    end a war

Similar words

冲突chōng tū: A dispute that develops when differences in opinions or interests become open and heated.
战斗zhàn dòu: Direct fighting that uses weapons or physical force.
内战nèi zhàn: An armed struggle between groups within the same country.
侵略qīn lüè: An armed attack on another country to seize its territory or sovereignty.

Definition in Chinese

指国家或社会内部或国家之间发生的武装对抗，即以暴力解决政治或利益冲突的有组织大规模冲突。zhǐ guó jiā huò shè huì nèi bù huò guó jiā zhī jiān fā shēng de wǔ zhuāng duì kàng jí yǐ bào lì jiě jué zhèng zhì huò lì yì chōng tū de yǒu zǔ zhī dà guī mó chōng tū

Word origin

战 (zhàn, "battle") + 争 (zhēng, "struggle") joins the ideas of fighting and contending to name organized armed conflict.

Usage tips

  • The word covers both conflict between countries and civil war within one country, so its scope is broader than a single battle or brief fight.

Opposites

Related words

  • 战争罪zhàn zhēng zuìwar crimenoun
  • 战争片zhàn zhēng piànwar movienoun
  • 战争时期zhàn zhēng shí qīwartimenoun

Word lists with this word