兵(へい)

へい
noun
soldier; common soldier; the rank-and-file
military
1. soldier; common soldier; troops; the rank-and-file
A member of the armed forces, especially an ordinary soldier rather than an officer. Also used collectively for troops, and as the lowest grade in a military rank system.
兵(へい)を送(おく)る。
To send troops.
城(しろ)を守(まも)る兵(へい)が少(すく)ない。
There are few soldiers guarding the castle.
将軍(しょうぐん)は一万(いちまん)の兵(へい)を率(ひき)いて進(すす)んだ。
The general advanced leading ten thousand soldiers.

A general word for a soldier or troops, common in historical and military contexts. As a single character it often feels formal or literary; everyday speech tends to use the compounds below.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 兵士(へいし): soldier — the ordinary word for an individual serviceman
  • 兵隊(へいたい): soldier; the troops — more colloquial, can mean a soldier or soldiers collectively
  • 軍(ぐん): army; military — the organization as a whole

Related Words

Compare: 軍(ぐん) (army)
general
Added 2026.6.27 9:21 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
29500/29510_hei