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闘う (たたかう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

闘たたかう

た

た

か

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

fight; wage war; do battle

Used for armed conflict, war, and physical combat. Often written as 戦う, but 闘う is also possible.

彼かれらは自じ由ゆうのために戦たたかった。
They fought for freedom.
二ふたつの国くにが長ながい間あいだ戦たたかっていた。

The two countries had been at war for a long time.

2

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

compete; contest

Used for sports, games, elections, and other competitive contexts. Often written as 戦う.

決けっ勝しょうで強きょう豪ごうチームと戦たたかう。
We will compete against a strong team in the finals.

3

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

struggle; fight against; contend with

Used for fighting against difficulties, illness, injustice, or inner struggles. Often written as 闘う.

彼かれは長ながい間あいだ、病びょう気きと闘たたかってきた。
He has been struggling with illness for a long time.
不ふ正せいと闘たたかう勇ゆう気きが必ひつ要ようだ。
We need the courage to fight against injustice.

Written forms

闘たたかうUsage21%
Common kanji for struggling against adversity, fighting for a cause, or contending with difficulties. Also used for physical fights.
戦たたかうUsage73%
Common kanji for fighting, war, and competition. Often used for literal battles and contests.
たたかうUsage6%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the intended kanji nuance is not important.
タタカウUsage<1%
斗たたかうUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.

Kanji

戦war, battle, match
闘fight, war
斗Big Dipper, ten sho (vol), sake dipper

Similar words

戦たたかい
Noun form meaning 'battle', 'fight', or 'struggle'. 戦う is the verb.
喧けん嘩か
Refers to a quarrel or physical fight, often personal and less formal than 戦う.
争あらそう
Means 'to compete' or 'to dispute', often over resources or rights. 戦う implies a more active, physical, or prolonged struggle.

Etymology

The verb たたかう is a native Japanese word. The kanji 戦 and 闘 both carry meanings related to fighting and struggling, with 戦 often used for war and competition, and 闘 for struggling against adversity. The historical derivation of the reading is uncertain.