Translation guide
The English word 'contest' covers competitions, disputes, and challenges. In Japanese, different words are used depending on the nature of the contest: formal competitions, informal challenges, or disputes over something.
beauty contest
speech contest
Also 弁論大会 (べんろんたいかい) for formal oratory contests.
contest a will
A structured event where people compete for a prize, title, or recognition, such as a contest of skill, beauty, or knowledge.
Loanword from English, widely used for various organized contests like beauty contests, photo contests, etc. Neutral and common.
She won the Miss Universe contest.
From French 'concours', used for artistic or skill-based competitions like music, art, or speech contests. Often implies a juried event.
General term for a large meeting or tournament, often used for sports contests or mass-participation events.
Specifically an athletic or sports competition event.
Abbreviation of 'competition', often used in business or design contexts (e.g., architectural design contest).
A situation where people or groups vie for control, influence, or a limited resource, often with a competitive or adversarial tone.
General term for a dispute, conflict, or struggle. Can be used for contests of power, territory, etc.
The presidential election became a fierce contest.
Competition, rivalry. Often used for economic or business contests, or any competitive race.
Showdown, confrontation. Used when two parties directly contest each other.
A formal challenge in a court of law, such as contesting a will or a decision.
コンテスト is a general loanword for contests (beauty, photo, etc.). コンクール is used for juried artistic/skill competitions (music, art, speech). 大会 is for large-scale events, especially sports tournaments or mass gatherings. Use コンテスト for most modern, Western-style contests; コンクール for artistic ones; 大会 for sports or large meets.
I entered a cooking contest.
We won the gold prize at the chorus contest.
National High School Baseball Championship (literally 'contest/tournament')
While コンテスト is common, it may sound unnatural for traditional Japanese competitions or sports. For example, a sumo tournament is 大相撲 (おおずもう), not a コンテスト. Use the appropriate native term for culturally specific events.
I won a prize in the piano contest.
来週、水泳大会がある。
There's a swimming contest next week.
陸上競技会に参加した。
I participated in a track and field contest.
It was chosen in a design contest.
市場での競争が激化している。
The contest in the market is intensifying.
両者の対決は避けられない。
A contest between the two is inevitable.
彼らは土地の所有権を争っている。
They are contesting the ownership of the land.