トーナメント
tōnamento[to̞ːna̠mẽ̞nto̞]
The English word tournament can be translated into Japanese as トーナメント (tōnamento) or 大会.
Meaning: series of games (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| トーナメント | tōnamento | [to̞ːna̠mẽ̞nto̞] (narrow) |
| 大会 | taikai | [ta̠ika̠i] (narrow) |
Both words refer to a series of games. You can use the phrase トーナメント方式 to specify that a competition follows a single-elimination format. If a tournament is played in a round-robin or league format instead of a single-elimination bracket, it is called リーグ戦.
Which one should you use?
トーナメント refers specifically to the bracket-style format where losers are eliminated. In contrast, 大会 is a broader term that can refer to the entire event, convention or large-scale competition, regardless of whether it uses a single-elimination bracket or a league format.
How do you pronounce it?
tōnamento
Did you know?
- In Japanese gaming culture, a 'loser's bracket' in a double-elimination tournament is often called the 敗者復活戦, which literally translates to a 'loser's resurrection match'.
- The katakana version トーナメント is so integrated into the language that it is used even in traditional Japanese martial arts like Kendo or Judo to describe modern competition structures.
- In a トーナメント, Japanese speakers might use the phrase 一発勝負 (one-shot game) to describe the high-pressure nature of a single-elimination match where there are no second chances.
Examples in context
- 大会９日目、ベスト８が出揃った。The top eight players survived the ninth day of the tournament.This sentence is useful for describing the status of players during the ninth day of a tournament using 大会.Tatoeba #137653 by small_snow, translation #275583 by AlanF_US
- ２０チームがトーナメントに出場した。Twenty teams entered the tournament.This sentence shows how to say teams entered a tournament using トーナメント.Tatoeba #235596 by huizi99, translation #72977 by CK
- 私たちは５月にサッカーの大会があります。We have a soccer tournament in May.This sentence is useful for mentioning a soccer tournament in May using 大会.Tatoeba #166670 by bunbuku, translation #247832 by CK
- 今年のサッカートーナメントは、選手権大会として開催されます。This year's soccer tournament will be held as a championship tournament.
- 申し込むためには、大会参加費が必要です。You need to pay the entry fee to apply for the tournament.
- 今週末に友達とバスケットボールのトーナメントに参加するんだ。I'm participating in a basketball tournament with my friends this weekend.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a tennis event at school.
- 大翔 Hiroto今度のテニスはトーナメント方式だよ。Kondo no tenisu wa tōnamento hōshiki dayo.The upcoming tennis event is a tournament style.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔、トーナメントにエントリーした？Hiroto, tōnamento ni entorī shita?Hiroto, did you enter the tournament?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、もう申し込んだよ。Un, mō mōshikonda yo.Yeah, I already signed up.
- 陽葵 Himari頑張ってね。応援するよ！Ganbatte ne. Ōen suru yo!Good luck. I'll cheer for you!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tournament” translations and entries トーナメント, 大会, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
