争

音読おんよみ: ソウ

訓読くんよみ: あらそう

画数かくすう: 6

部首ぶしゅ: 亅（はねぼう）

Meaning

Conflict / Quarrel / Compete / Fight

  • Basic forms
  • 争う — to fight; to argue; to compete / base form
  • 争います — fight; argue / masu form
  • 争った — fought; argued / ta form
  • 争って — fighting; argue and … / te-form
  • 争わない — do not fight; do not argue / negative form
  • 争えば — if (someone) fights / conditional
  • 争え・争いなさい — fight!; argue! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 争いたい — want to fight; want to argue / 〜たい form
  • 争える — can fight; be able to compete / potential
  • 争えた — was able to compete / past potential
  • 争えない — cannot fight; cannot compete / negative potential
  • More
  • 争おう — let’s fight; let’s compete / 〜よう form
  • 争わなかった — didn’t fight; didn’t argue / past negative
  • 争っている — is fighting; is arguing / progressive

争う（あらそう） is a godan verb ending in う. It is used for conflicts, arguments, or competition, as in 意見いけんを争う (argue over opinions) or 勝利しょうりを争う (compete for victory).

  • 争あらそう — to quarrel; to fight; to compete
  • 争議そうぎ — dispute; labor conflict
  • 競争きょうそう — competition
  • 論争ろんそう — controversy; dispute
  • 戦争せんそう — war
  • 紛争ふんそう — conflict; dispute

The older form of 争 shows a hand and tool, evoking a struggle over something. The simplified form keeps the core idea: to argue, compete, or fight.

兄弟きょうだいで争あらそうのはやめましょう。
Let’s stop fighting between siblings.

その土地とちをめぐって争あらそいが起おきました。
A conflict arose over that piece of land.

彼かれらは優勝ゆうしょうを争あらそっています。
They are competing for the championship.

論
Creates
論争ろんそう — dispute; controversy
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