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接戦 (せっせん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
close contest ; close match ; close race
Used when competitors, teams, or candidates are very close in score, votes, or ability. Common with 試合, 選挙, 優勝争い, and phrases such as 接戦になる, 接戦を制する, 接戦を繰り広げる.
じょう
位い
三さん
チーム
が
優ゆう
勝しょう
争あらそ
い
で
接せっ
戦せん
し
て
いる
。
The top three teams are in a close race for the championship.
2
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
close combat ; close-quarters fighting
Literal military or battle-related use for fighting at close range. In modern ordinary Japanese, 接近戦 or 白兵戦 is often clearer for this meaning.
Similar words 競せ り 合あ い A close struggle or back-and-forth contest; more general and conversational than 接戦, which is common in sports, elections, and news.
僅きん 差さ Means a narrow margin or small difference; it focuses on the size of the gap, while 接戦 focuses on the contest itself being close.
接せっ 近きん 戦せん A clearer modern term for close-range fighting or close-quarters tactics; 接戦 is usually understood first as a close contest unless the context is military.
激げき 戦せん Means a fierce or intense battle or contest; it may be one-sided, whereas 接戦 specifically implies that the sides are closely matched.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound: 接 means contact, joining, or approaching, and 戦 means battle, match, or contest. The spelling directly reflects both the literal close-combat sense and the extended sense of a closely fought contest.
