Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 をライバルと 見み る to view someone as a rival
He views his colleague Tanaka, who joined the company at the same time, as a rival.
ライバルに 勝か つ to beat one's rival
I beat my long-time rival in the final match.
ライバル 意い 識しき を 持も つ to feel a sense of rivalry (toward someone)
She has a strong sense of rivalry toward her younger sister.
Related words· 8 競争相手 is a formal, neutral Japanese term for a competitor, while ライバル carries a more personal, emotionally charged nuance of rivalry.
好敵手 is a literary term for a worthy rival whose skill is respected, whereas ライバル is the everyday loanword used in casual and business contexts alike.
ライバル is a general rival in any field such as sports or business, while 政敵 refers specifically to an opponent in politics.
ライバル is a general ongoing rival (in sports, business, love, etc.), while 強敵 specifically stresses that the opponent is powerful and hard to beat.
Show 4 more Show fewer ライバル is a borrowed word for a rival you compete with over time, while 相手 is the plain, native term for whoever you're facing in a given match or contest.
ライバル is a casual, modern term for a rival used in everyday contexts, whereas 宿敵 carries a heavier, more dramatic nuance of enmity.
ライバル is a borrowed word for a rival in competition, usually without the strong hostility that 敵 can carry.
ライバル emphasizes competition between people or companies, while 同業者 simply identifies someone in the same line of business without implying rivalry.
Written forms ライバル Usage 99%
Standard katakana spelling for the English loanword 'rival'.
ライヴァル Usage 1%
search-only kana form
Search-only kana form reflecting an alternative transliteration; not a common practical spelling.
Etymology Borrowed from English 'rival', which ultimately derives from Latin 'rivalis' (one who shares a stream). The word entered Japanese as a loanword in the 20th century and is now fully integrated.
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