軍隊
guntai[ɡɯ̟̃nta̠i]
In Japanese, the word for army can be expressed as 軍隊 (guntai) or 陸軍.
Meaning: military force concerned mainly with ground operations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 軍隊 | guntai | [ɡɯ̟̃nta̠i] (narrow) |
| 陸軍 | rikugun | [ɾʲikɯ̟ɡɯ̟̃ɴ] (narrow) |
軍隊 is the most common way to refer to the military as a whole in a general sense. 陸軍 is used specifically when referring to the land-based branch of the military.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 陸軍 (rikugun) is composed of 陸 (land) and 軍 (military/army). The word 軍隊 (guntai) is composed of 軍 (military) and 隊 (unit/group/squad).
Which one should you use?
Use 陸軍 when specifically referring to the land-based branch of the military, whereas 軍隊 refers to the military as a general institution.
How do you pronounce it?
guntai
Did you know?
- The word 軍 (gun) is used in Japanese to describe sports teams or factions in a competition, such as the 'blue army' and 'white army' in school sports days.
- In modern Japan, the word 軍隊 (guntai) is rarely used for the current Self-Defense Forces, as they are legally defined as 'defense organizations' rather than an 'army'.
- The kanji 隊 (tai) in 軍隊 is the same character used in 特撮 (tokusatsu) series for 'sentai' teams, like the Power Rangers, implying a specialized squad.
Examples in context
- 彼は陸軍士官だ。He is an army officer.This sentence shows how to use 陸軍 to identify an army officer.Tatoeba #99063 by bunbuku, translation #304636 by CK
- 彼は陸軍に入った。He entered the army.This sentence uses 陸軍 to describe joining the army.Tatoeba #99064 by bunbuku, translation #304635 by CK
- 軍隊に入りたいんです。I want to join the army.This sentence uses 軍隊 to express a desire to join the military.Tatoeba #10655899 by small_snow, translation #2011910 by CK
- 日本の陸軍は世界でも有名です。The Japanese army is famous worldwide.
- 彼は陸軍の将校として長いキャリアを築きました。He built a long career as an army officer.
- 彼は軍に入隊したいと思っています。He wants to enlist in the army.
- 日本の軍の技術は驚くべきものです。The technology of the Japanese army is amazing.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are watching a historical movie together.
- 健太 Kentaこの映画には大きな軍隊が出てくるね。Kono eiga ni wa ookina guntai ga detekuru ne.A large army appears in this movie, doesn't it?
- 陽葵 Himari本当だね、迫力があるよ。Hontou da ne, hakuryoku ga aru yo.That's true, it's very powerful.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵は、昔の軍隊の衣装を見たことある？Himari wa, mukashi no guntai no ishou o mita koto aru?Himari, have you ever seen old military uniforms?
- 陽葵 Himariいいえ、博物館でしか見たことがないわ。Iie, hakubutsukan de shika mita koto ga nai wa.No, I have only seen them in museums.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “army” translations and entries 軍隊, 陸軍, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
