敵う

• 読み: かなう
• ローマ字: kanau
• 漢字の分解: 敵 (teki/kana) — enemy, rival, match
• 発音: /ka.na.ɯ/

意味

To match; to rival; to be a match for. Usually used in the negative to mean 'cannot compete with.'

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb almost always used in negative form (敵わない). Expresses being unable to compete with or match someone or something. Despite sharing the reading かなう with 叶う (to come true), 敵う specifically means matching in strength or ability. The kanji 敵 means enemy or opponent, reflecting the competitive nuance.

例文

1. この暑さにはどうしても敵わない。
2. 経験豊富な先輩には敵わないと思った。
3. 母の手料理にはどんなレストランも敵わない。

使い方ガイド

場面: comparison, competition, daily life

トーン: resigned

起源と歴史

Uses the kanji 敵 (enemy, rival), connecting to the idea of facing an opponent. The verb form かなう originally meant to match or equal, but modern usage is predominantly negative — expressing inability to match.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal