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王者 (おうじゃ, ouja) Japanese meaning: king | Kotomora

王おう者じゃ

also: おうしゃ

お

う

じゃ

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

king; monarch; ruler

Refers to a sovereign or ruler; compared with 王 or 国王, 王者 often sounds somewhat elevated, literary, or descriptive rather than like an everyday title.

古こ代だいの王おう者じゃは

大おお

きな

権けん

力りょく

を

持も

っ

て

い

た

。

Ancient rulers held great power.

2

Common in sports, games, competitions, and figurative uses for the person or team at the top; often appears in phrases such as 世界王者 and 王者決定戦.

彼かれは三さん年ねん連れん続ぞくで世せ界かい王おう者じゃになった。
He became world champion for the third year in a row.
王おう者じゃらしい落おち着ついた試し合あい運はこびだった。
It was the calm handling of a match that you would expect from a champion.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の王おう者じゃthe king/ruler of a place
ライオンは草そう原げんの王おう者じゃだ。
The lion is the king of the savanna.
王おう者じゃに輝かがやくto be crowned champion
彼かれは大たい会かいで王おう者じゃに輝かがやいた。
He was crowned champion at the tournament.
王おう者じゃの座ざを守まもるto defend one's championship title
チャンピオンは王おう者じゃの座ざを守まもり続つづけた。
The champion kept defending his title.
王おう者じゃの風ふう格かくa regal bearing; the air of a champion
彼かれのプレーには王おう者じゃの風ふう格かくが感かんじられた。
His play had the air of a true champion.

Kanji

王king, rule, magnate
者someone, person

Related words

王おうN3sense 1
王 is the plain, everyday word for a king, while 王者 sounds more literary or descriptive and often extends to mean 'champion'.
チャンピオンN1sense 2
チャンピオン is a casual loanword for 'champion', while 王者 has a more formal, Sino-Japanese tone often used in compounds like 世界王者.
国こく王おうN2sense 1
国王 is the precise, official title for the monarch of a country, whereas 王者 is a broader, more literary term that can also mean 'champion'.
覇は者しゃ sense 2
覇者 emphasizes having triumphed over rivals to dominate a field, while 王者 simply denotes the reigning top figure or champion.
横よこ綱づなN1
王者 is a general word for 'champion' or 'ruler' in any field, whereas 横綱 keeps its sumo origin even when used figuratively for the best in a domain.

Opposites

挑ちょう戦せん者しゃ sense 2
挑戦者 is the challenger trying to take the title, the natural opposite role to 王者, the reigning champion.

Word family

世せ界かい王おう者じゃ
world champion
絶ぜっ対たい王おう者じゃ
undisputed champion; absolute champion

Written forms

王者Usage100%
- おうじゃ
  Standard and common reading of the kanji form, high priority.
- おうしゃ
  Attested alternate reading, but much less practical for learners than おうじゃ.
おうしゃ

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 王, 'king', and 者, 'person'; the spelling transparently matches the ideas of a ruling person or someone who stands at the top.