戦士
senshi[sẽ̞ɰ̃ɕi]
The Japanese word for warrior is 戦士 (senshi). Wiktionary also lists 武士 (bushi) and 武人 (bujin).
Meaning: person actively engaged in battle, conflict or warfare (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 戦士 | senshi | [sẽ̞ɰ̃ɕi] (narrow) |
| 武士 | bushi | [bɯ̟ɕi] (narrow) [mo̞no̞no̞ɸɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 武人 | bujin | [bɯ̟ʑĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 武者 | musha |
The term refers to a person actively engaged in battle, conflict or warfare.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 武士 literally means a martial person, combining 武 (martial/military) and 士 (person/gentleman/scholar).
Which one should you use?
戦士 is a general term for a warrior and is frequently used in modern contexts like fantasy games or science fiction. 武士 specifically refers to the warrior class of feudal Japan, often synonymous with the samurai. 武人 carries a more formal or dignified nuance than 戦士, often used to describe someone whose character or profession is defined by martial arts or military discipline.
How do you pronounce it?
senshi
Did you know?
- The character 武 in 武士 combines the radicals for 'stop' and 'spear', reflecting a philosophy where the ideal warrior's goal is to stop conflict.
- The term 武士 can be read with the archaic pronunciation 'mononofu', which stems from a combination of 'mono' meaning 'thing' and 'fu' of uncertain meaning.
- The word 武士 was used in Japanese texts as early as the year 721, long before the samurai class became the dominant political force in Japan.
Examples in context
- 彼は真の戦士です。He is a true warrior.
- 彼は優れた兵士です。He is an excellent warrior/soldier.
- 彼は伝説の戦士です。Kare wa densetsu no senshi desu.He is a legendary warrior.
- 戦士の精神が大切だ。Senshi no seishin ga taisetsu da.A warrior's spirit is important.
- その戦士はとても強かった。Sono senshi wa totemo tsuyokatta.That warrior was very strong.
Example conversation
Two siblings are playing a fantasy video game together.
- 陽太 Yotaこのゲームの戦士は強いね。Kono geemu no senshi wa tsuyoi ne.The warrior in this game is strong, isn't he?
- 陽葵 Himari陽太の戦士もすごいよ！Youta no senshi mo sugoi yo!Youta's warrior is amazing too!
- 陽太 Yota次はもっと強い敵が出るよ。Tsugi wa motto tsuyoi teki ga deru yo.A stronger enemy will appear next.
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵も負けないように頑張る！Himari mo makenai you ni ganbaru!Himari will try her best not to lose, too!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “warrior” translations and entries 戦士, 武士, 武人, 武者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 戦士, 武士, CC BY-SA 4.0.
