Learn Japanese while reading Manga with our new Manga Reader Tool!

Nihongo

Classroom

How to say 'War' in Japanese | 戦争

Wondering how to say 'War' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for War is 'Sensou', written as 戦争 in Japanese.'War' in hiragana is せんそう.

    word

    戦争

    Meaning

    War

    Reading

    せんそう

    sensou

    Kanji

    戦Fight, War 争Dispute

    Explanation

    The Japanese verbal noun '戦争 (せんそう)' means 'war'. It refers to a state of armed conflict between different nations, states, or groups. This term is often used in historical, political, or social contexts to describe large-scale conflicts. For example: The war ended in 1945「戦争は1945年に終わった」(せんそうは1945ねんにおわった). Many people suffered during the war「多くの人が戦争中に苦しんだ」(おおくのひとがせんそうちゅうにくるしんだ). The word can also be used metaphorically to describe intense competition or conflict in non-military contexts, such as 'price wars' or 'trade wars'.

    Part Of Speech

    verbal noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N3

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    1568

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 戦争

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    戦

    Meaning

    Fight, War

  • kanji

    争

    Meaning

    Dispute

Words Related to 戦争 Through the Kanji 戦

These 16 Words contain the Kanji 戦 as well.

  • word

    戦後

    Meaning

    Postwar

  • word

    戦

    Meaning

    War

  • word

    戦略

    Meaning

    Strategy

  • word

    戦う

    Meaning

    Fight

  • word

    戦い

    Meaning

    Struggle, Battle

  • word

    作戦

    Meaning

    Strategy

  • word

    大戦

    Meaning

    Great war

  • word

    戦闘

    Meaning

    Battle

  • word

    戦死

    Meaning

    Death in battle

  • word

    戦前

    Meaning

    Prewar

  • word

    戦場

    Meaning

    Battlefield

  • word

    戦国

    Meaning

    Warring, States

  • word

    挑戦

    Meaning

    Challenge

  • word

    敗戦

    Meaning

    Defeat

  • word

    合戦

    Meaning

    Battle

  • word

    戦時

    Meaning

    Wartime

Words Related to 戦争 Through the Kanji 争

These 6 Words contain the Kanji 争 as well.

  • word

    競争

    Meaning

    Competition

  • word

    闘争

    Meaning

    Struggle, Conflict

  • word

    紛争

    Meaning

    Conflict

  • word

    争い

    Meaning

    Dispute

  • word

    争う

    Meaning

    Compete, Dispute

  • word

    論争

    Meaning

    Dispute

Learn the Word 戦争

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Sensou' (戦争) mean?

'Sensou' means 'War' .

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