How to say 'Compete' or 'Dispute' in Japanese | 争う

Wondering how to say 'Compete' or 'Dispute' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Compete or Dispute is 'Arasou', written as 争う in Japanese.'Compete' or 'Dispute' in hiragana is あらそう.

word

争う

Meaning

Compete, Dispute

Reading

あらそう

arasou

Kanji

争Dispute

Explanation

The Japanese verb '争う (あらそう)' has two distinct meanings. The first meaning is 'to compete', which refers to striving to outperform others in a contest or rivalry. For example: They competed for the championship「彼らは優勝を争った」(かれらはゆうしょうをあらそった). The second meaning is 'to dispute', which refers to engaging in a conflict or argument over something. For example: The siblings disputed over the inheritance「兄弟は遺産を争った」(きょうだいはいさんをあらそった). The verb can be used in both formal and informal contexts, and it often implies a sense of struggle or contention.

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

5327

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 争う

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

争

Meaning

Dispute

Hiragana in the Word 争う

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

う

Reading

Words Related to 争う Through the Kanji 争

These 6 Words contain the Kanji 争 as well.

word

戦争

Meaning

War

word

競争

Meaning

Competition

word

闘争

Meaning

Struggle, Conflict

word

紛争

Meaning

Conflict

word

争い

Meaning

Dispute

word

論争

Meaning

Dispute

Learn the Word 争う

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What does 'Arasou' (争う) mean?

'Arasou' means 'Compete' or 'Dispute' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.