チャンピオン
chanpion[t͡ɕã̠mpʲiõ̞ɴ]
The English word 'champion' is translated into Japanese as チャンピオン (chanpion). Wiktionary also lists 優勝者 (yūshōsha) and 王者 (ōja).
Meaning: someone who has been winner in a contest (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| チャンピオン | chanpion | [t͡ɕã̠mpʲiõ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 優勝者 | yūshōsha | [jɯ̟ːɕo̞ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 王者 | ōja | [o̞ːʑa̠] (narrow) |
The term refers to someone who has been winner in a contest.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 優勝者 is composed of 優勝 (victory/preeminence) and 者 (person).
Which one should you use?
優勝者 is a more formal and descriptive term for a tournament winner than the loanword チャンピオン. 王者 is often used in a more dramatic, literary or metaphorical sense to describe a dominant champion or 'king' of a field.
How do you pronounce it?
chanpion
When do people say it?
In sumo wrestling, the term 横綱 is used to refer to the highest-ranked champion.
Did you know?
- In sumo, a 横綱 is not just a champion but a living embodiment of a Shinto deity, making the role spiritual as well as athletic.
- In manga and anime, 王者 is frequently used to describe characters who are 'invincible', whereas チャンピオン is used for those who simply won a title.
- Japanese uses the katakana script for チャンピオン, which visually signals to the reader that this is a foreign concept or a modern westernized term.
Examples in context
- 彼はテニスの優勝者です。He is a tennis champion.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a tennis 優勝者.Tatoeba #111810 by bunbuku, translation #291868 by CK
- 私はチャンピオンと対戦した。I played against the champion.This sentence is useful for describing a match against a チャンピオン.Tatoeba #159515 by bunbuku, translation #255008 by CM
- 彼女はサッカーのチャンピオンだ。She's a soccer champion.This sentence is useful for stating someone is a soccer チャンピオン.Tatoeba #8435579 by Shigure, translation #680492 by Source_VOA
- 去年の大会で彼は優勝者となりました。He became the champion in last year's tournament.
- 彼は自転車競技界の王者です。He is the champion of the cycling world.
- 彼はサッカーチャンピオンになりました。He became the soccer champion.
- 昨日のトーナメントの優勝者は誰でしたか？Who was the champion in yesterday's tournament?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hina and Yota are talking about a boxing match.
- 陽葵 Himari誰がチャンピオンになったの？Dare ga chanpion ni natta no?Who became the champion?
- 陽太 Yotaアメリカの選手がチャンピオンになったよ。Amerika no senshu ga chanpion ni natta yo.An American player became the champion.
- 陽葵 Himariすごいね！強いんだろうな。Sugoi ne! Tsuyoi ndarou na.That's amazing! He must be strong.
- 陽太 Yotaうん、今のチャンピオンは無敗なんだ。Un, ima no chanpion wa muhai nanda.Yeah, the current champion is undefeated.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “champion” translations and entries チャンピオン, 優勝者, 王者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
