戦争

• Reading: せんそう
• Romaji: sensou
• Kanji breakdown: 戦 (sen/ikusa/tataka) — war, battle, fight; 争 (sou/araso) — contend, dispute, compete
• Pronunciation: /se.n.soː/

Meaning

War. Armed conflict between countries or groups.

Functions as a noun or する verb (戦争する). Central to Japanese modern history and education. Common phrases include 戦争中 (during the war), 戦争映画 (war film), and 反戦争 / 反戦 (anti-war). In Japan, 戦争 without further context usually refers to World War II.

Examples

1. 戦争のない世界になってほしいです。 I hope for a world without war.
2. 祖父から戦争の話を聞きました。 I heard stories about the war from my grandfather.
3. 歴史の授業で戦争について学びました。 I learned about war in history class.

Usage Guide

Context: history, news, education

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Compound of 戦 (war, battle, fight) and 争 (contend, dispute, compete). Both characters involve conflict, together forming a word for large-scale armed fighting.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal