1.
soldier; serviceman; troops
A member of the armed forces, especially an ordinary enlisted soldier. Can refer to one soldier or, collectively, to troops.
兵隊になる。
To become a soldier.
大勢の兵隊が町を行進した。
A large number of soldiers marched through the town.
祖父は若いころ兵隊として戦争に行った。
My grandfather went to war as a soldier when he was young.
An everyday word for a soldier, particularly a rank-and-file enlisted man. It can name an individual or, used collectively, a body of troops. It carries a slightly old-fashioned, wartime flavor.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 兵隊になる: to become a soldier
- 兵隊に行く: to go off to military service
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 軍人: military serviceman — more formal; includes officers
- 兵士: soldier — neutral, standard term, common in news and writing
- 自衛隊員: member of the Self-Defense Forces — the modern term for Japan's forces