戰爭 / 战争
zhànzhēng
The English phrase 'war' can be translated into Mandarin as 戰爭 / 战争 (zhànzhēng). If unsure, use 戰爭 / 战争. Wiktionary also lists 仗 (zhàng).
Meaning: conflict involving organized use of arms (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戰爭 / 战争 | zhànzhēng | ||
| 仗 | zhàng | /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡saŋ²¹³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 戰爭 / 战争 | chiàn-chng, chiàn-cheng | Hokkien |
The word refers to a conflict involving the organized use of arms. While 仗 can be used in verbal constructions to mean engaging in combat, the term 開戰 is used specifically to describe the formal act of declaring or starting a war, rather than the ongoing state of fighting.
Which one should you use?
The term 戰爭 / 战争 is the standard formal noun used to refer to the concept of 'war' in academic, news or official contexts. In contrast, 仗 is often used in the verb phrase 打仗.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form җон is associated with Dungan, and 戰爭 / 战争 is associated with Hokkien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 仗 is most commonly used in the verbal construction 打仗 to mean 'to fight a war' or 'to engage in combat'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 戰爭 / 战争 is zhànzhēng.
Did you know?
- The word 仗 was originally used to refer to a 'cane' or 'staff' used for walking.
- In Mandarin, the verb 打 usually means 'to hit', but when paired as 打仗, it describes the complex act of conducting a military campaign.
- In some Chinese dialects, the word for 'war' is used metaphorically to describe an intense argument or a fierce competition in business or sports.
Examples in context
- 我們在跟日本打仗。We're at war with Japan.This sentence is useful for describing being at war with a specific country using 仗.Tatoeba #6624700 by verdastelo9604, translation #3725429 by CM
- 很多年輕人去了打仗。Many young men went to war.This sentence is useful for describing people going to war using 仗.Tatoeba #346940 by nickyeow, translation #274864 by Swift
- 打仗To fight a battle, to go to warThis sentence is useful for showing the verbal phrase for fighting a battle or going to war using 仗.
- 这场战争让人们付出了巨大的牺牲。This war caused people to make tremendous sacrifices.
- 我爷爷在那场战争中打过仗。My grandfather fought in that war.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “war” translations and entries 仗, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 仗, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
