兵
Meanings
soldier; rank-and-file soldier
Refers to an individual soldier, especially an ordinary or lower-ranking soldier. It is common in military, historical, and written contexts; 兵士 is often clearer in everyday modern wording.
A young soldier was standing in front of the gate.
He fought not as an officer, but as a single rank-and-file soldier.
Collective use for soldiers as a force or army. Often appears with numbers or verbs such as 率いる, 集める, or 進める.
The king led ten thousand troops north.
Enemy troops gathered around the castle.
warfare; military strategy
Literary or classical use referring to war, warfare, or the art of war rather than to soldiers themselves. In modern Japanese it is mostly seen in set phrases, classical quotations, or compounds related to military strategy.
In the phrase 兵は詭道なり, 兵 refers to warfare or military operations, not to soldiers.
Usage patterns
- 兵を率いるto lead troops
The general led fifty thousand troops into battle.
- 兵を集めるto gather troops
The king gathered troops from across the land.
- 兵を送るto send troops
The government sent troops to that region.
- 兵を退くto withdraw troops
The enemy suffered losses and withdrew their troops.
- 兵として戦うto fight as a soldier
He fought as a soldier while still young.
Expressions
- 驕兵必敗pride comes before a fall; an arrogant army is bound to lose
- 兵を向けるsend an army; dispatch troops
- 兵を挙げるraise an army; take up arms
- 敗軍の将は兵を語らずdon't be a sore loser; don't make excuses for your failures; a defeated general should not talk of strategy