war · fight

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 戦 has 13 strokes, the on-reading せん, and the kun-readings いくさ and たたかう. 戦う (たたかう) means to fight or compete.
• Basic usage: 戦う describes facing an opponent or enemy; 戦争 (せんそう) means war.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Competing in a match and war
  • 強い相手と戦う means to compete against a strong opponent. 怪物と戦いました describes the story's hero fighting a monster to protect the village.
  • 戦争を扱った小説 means a novel about war. 戦争が人々の暮らしに与えた影響 refers to war's effect on people's lives.