闘う
たたかう
verb (godan)
to fight; to struggle; to compete
See also:
戦う (battle (戦))
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 闘う | 闘わない |
| Present polite | 闘います | 闘いません |
| Past | 闘った | 闘わなかった |
| Past polite | 闘いました | 闘いませんでした |
| て form | 闘って | 闘わなくて |
| ている present | 闘っている | 闘っていない |
| ている polite | 闘っています | 闘っていません |
| ている past | 闘っていた | 闘っていなかった |
| ている past polite | 闘っていました | 闘っていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 闘えば | 闘わなければ |
| Conditional たら | 闘ったら | 闘わなかったら |
| Volitional | 闘おう | — |
| Volitional polite | 闘いましょう | — |
| Potential | 闘える | 闘えない |
| Passive | 闘われる | 闘われない |
| Causative | 闘わせる | 闘わせない |
| Imperative | 闘え | 闘うな |
1.
to fight; to compete; to contend
To engage in a physical or competitive fight. Emphasizes personal combat, competition, or a direct contest against an opponent.
選手たちが闘った。
The athletes fought.
決勝戦で強豪チームと闘う。
We will compete against a powerhouse team in the finals.
ボクサーは最後まで諦めずに闘い続けた。
The boxer kept fighting without giving up until the very end.
2.
to struggle; to battle against
To struggle against a difficult situation such as illness, hardship, or adversity. Often used figuratively for enduring challenges.
病気と闘う。
To fight against an illness.
彼女は長年、病魔と闘ってきた。
She has been battling illness for many years.
貧困と闘いながら、夢を追い続けた。
While struggling against poverty, he continued to pursue his dream.
USAGE:
Written with 闘 rather than 戦 to emphasize physical combat, personal struggle, or competitive contests. 戦う tends to focus on wars, battles between groups, or strategic conflicts, while 闘う highlights individual combat, competitive matches, or struggles against adversity.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 病気と闘う (to fight illness)
- 病魔と闘う (to battle a disease)
- 孤独と闘う (to struggle with loneliness)
- 正々堂々と闘う (to fight fair and square)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 戦う: to fight, to wage war — focuses on wars, large-scale battles, or strategic conflicts rather than personal combat or inner struggle
Related Words
Contrast:
戦う (war/battle context)