軍

• Reading: ぐん
• Romaji: gun
• Kanji breakdown: 軍 (gun) — army, military
• Pronunciation: /ɡɯ.n/

Meaning

Army; military force; troops. An organized body of armed personnel.

A noun referring to military forces in general. Appears in many compounds: 軍人 (gunjin, soldier), 軍事 (gunji, military affairs), 海軍 (kaigun, navy), 空軍 (kuugun, air force). Common in history, news, and political discussions. Japan's modern military is called 自衛隊 (Self-Defense Forces) rather than 軍.

Examples

1. その国は軍の力が強い。 That country has a strong military.
2. 歴史の授業で軍の役割について学んだ。 We learned about the role of the military in history class.
3. 軍事に関するニュースが毎日報道されている。 Military-related news is reported every day.

Usage Guide

Context: history, politics, news

Tone: serious

Origin & History

The kanji 軍 combines 冖 (cover) and 車 (chariot/vehicle). In ancient China, chariots were the backbone of military forces, so a covered chariot formation came to represent an army.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal