闘う · godan verb (-u)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 闘う | 闘わない |
| Polite | 闘います | 闘いません |
| Past polite | 闘いました | 闘いませんでした |
| Past | 闘った | 闘わなかった |
| Te-form | 闘って | 闘わないで |
| Desire | 闘いたい | 闘いたくない |
| Potential | 闘える | 闘えない |
| Passive | 闘われる | 闘われない |
| Causative | 闘わせる | 闘わせない |
| Causative passive | 闘わせられるalso 闘わされる | 闘わせられないalso 闘わされない |
| Volitional | 闘おう | |
| Polite volitional | 闘いましょう | |
| Imperative | 闘え | 闘うな |
| Conditional | 闘えば | 闘わなければ |
| Tara conditional | 闘ったら | 闘わなかったら |
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.
彼らは自由のために戦った。
They fought for freedom.
The two countries had been at war for a long time.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
Used for sports, games, elections, and other competitive contexts. Often written as 戦う.
決勝で強豪チームと戦う。
We will compete against a strong team in the finals.
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.
彼は長い間、病気と闘ってきた。
He has been struggling with illness for a long time.
不正と闘う勇気が必要だ。
We need the courage to fight against injustice.
He fought against a formidable opponent.
She has been fighting an illness for a long time.
The athletes competed at the Olympics.
He fought for freedom.
闘争する is a formal term for a prolonged struggle, often political or ideological, while 戦う is more general and can describe everyday battles or contests too.
喧嘩する describes a personal, informal quarrel or fight, while 戦う is used for larger-scale or more serious battles and contests.
戦う means to fight or battle without necessarily intending to kill, while 殺し合う specifically describes people trying to kill each other.
fight to the bitter end; fight through to the end
play-fighting; mock battle
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.