Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ライバル | raibaru | [ɾa̠iba̠ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 好敵手 | kōtekishu | [ko̞ːte̞kʲiɕɨ] (narrow) |
Japanese uses several terms for a rival depending on the context. ライバル is a common loanword for a competitor with the same objective. For a more neutral or professional way to say competitor or opponent, especially in business or professional sports, you can use 競争相手 (きょうそうあいて). If you are describing a rival or adversary in a formal context, such as competition between companies, the word 敵 (てき) is also used.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 好敵手 literally means a "good opponent". It is composed of 好 (good/likable), 敵 (enemy/opponent) and 手 (person/hand).
Which one should you use?
While ライバル is a general loanword used for a competitor, 好敵手 is a more formal and literary term specifically used to describe a rival whom one respects or considers a worthy opponent.
How do you pronounce it?
raibaru
Did you know?
- In Japanese, if you want to call someone a 'worthy enemy' in a more dramatic or martial way, you might use the word 宿敵, which refers to a 'destined foe' or a nemesis.
- The term 好敵手 contains the character 手, which literally means 'hand', but in this context refers to a person or a player, such as a 'master' in games like Shogi.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, the ライバル is often portrayed as a deep emotional bond rather than a hostile relationship, focusing on mutual growth through competition.
Examples in context
- トムはマラソン大会で最後まで粘るも、ライバルに敗れた。Even though Tom stuck it out to the end of the marathon, he lost to his rival.This sentence shows how to use ライバル to describe someone who lost to a rival in a marathon.Tatoeba #9856994 by MsFixer, translation #10776053 by FretfulGiant
- 彼はライバル会社に引き抜かれました。He was poached by a rival company.This sentence demonstrates the use of ライバル when referring to a rival company.Tatoeba #74976 by fcbond, translation #328743 by fcbond
- 私の会社の競争相手は今回のプロジェクトで本当に強いです。Our company's competitor is truly strong in this project.
- 彼は私のライバルだけど、とても尊敬しています。He is my rival, but I greatly respect him.
- 彼とは学生時代から競争相手だったけど、いつもお互い切磋琢磨していました。We have been competitors since our student days, but we always pushed each other to improve.
- 彼は僕にとって、最高のライバルだ。Kare wa boku ni totte, saikou no raibaru da.He is my best rival.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about a tennis tournament.
- 陽太 Yota今度の大会、誰がライバルかな？Kondo no taikai, dare ga raibaru kana?Who will be our rivals in the next tournament?
- 美咲 Misakiきっと、あのクラスの田中さんだよ。Kitto, ano kurasu no Tanaka-san da yo.It will definitely be Tanaka from that class.
- 陽太 Yota彼女は本当に強いよね。Kanojo wa hontou ni tsuyoi yo ne.She is really strong, isn't she?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、負けられないよ。Un, makerarenai yo.Yeah, we can't lose.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rival” translations and entries ライバル, 好敵手, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
