Kanji N3

争: contend, dispute, argue

争 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning contend, dispute, argue, written with 6 strokes. It is read ソウ (on) and あらそう, いかでか (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 戦争 (せんそう, war) and 論争 (ろんそう, dispute).

争

Meanings

  • contend
  • dispute
  • argue
Strokes6
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#271 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ソウ

On'yomi: from Chinese, written in katakana. Used in compound words.

Kun reading
  • あらそう
  • いかでか

Kun'yomi: native Japanese, in hiragana. The faint part is the okurigana, written in kana after the kanji.

Watch the stroke order

Every stroke in order, the live one in vermilion. Replay as often as you like.

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Now draw it

Trace each stroke in order. Wrong direction or wrong order gets flagged right away.

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 6. Start at the dot.

Common words with 争

The most useful words written with it, easiest first. Every other kanji in them opens its own page.

  • 戦争せんそう

    war

    JLPT N4
  • 論争ろんそう

    dispute; controversy; debate; argument

    JLPT N3
  • 競争きょうそう

    competition; contest; rivalry; race

    JLPT N4
  • 争いあらそい

    fight; dispute; feud; conflict; struggle; strife

    JLPT N1
  • 紛争ふんそう

    dispute; conflict; trouble; unrest; strife

    JLPT N1
  • 争うあらそう

    to compete; to contest; to contend

    JLPT N2
  • 抗争こうそう

    rivalry; feud; conflict; dispute; struggle

    JLPT N1
  • 争点そうてん

    point at issue

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Stroke order from KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Readings, meanings and words from KANJIDIC2 and JMdict, names from JMnedict, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata, CC0; the Spanish meanings they lack, translated by Naraio from their English, are shared under the same licence. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY. Sentences split into words with IPADIC © NAIST and IPA, through Lindera.