たたかう

Japanese

Alternative spellings
戦う 闘う

Etymology

From the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) tataka of verb 叩く (tataku, “to strike”) + auxiliary verb ふ (fu, indicating repetitive or ongoing action) → “to strike repeatedly” → “to fight”.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たたかう [tàtákáú] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) たたかう [tàtákáúꜜ] (Odaka – [4])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ta̠ka̠ɯ̟]

Verb

たたかう • (tatakau) ^{←たたかふ (tatakafu)?}godan (stem たたかい (tatakai), past たたかった (tatakatta))

1. to battle, to fight, to wage war
   • 1916, Tetsuro Watsuji, Conversion:

     しかしこの敵(てき)と戦(たたか)っている間(あいだ)に、他(ほか)の敵(てき)が背(はい)後(ご)へ回(まわ)っていた。

     Shikashi kono teki to tatakatte iru aida ni, hoka no teki ga haigo e mawatte ita.

     But while he was battling this enemy, another had come up behind him.

   • 1922, Torahiko Terada, Clear Reminiscence:

     しかし自(じ)分(ぶん)の弱(よわ)さと戦(たたか)う戦(せん)士(し)としては決(けっ)して弱(よわ)くなかった。

     Shikashi jibun no yowasa to tatakau senshi toshite wa kesshite yowakunakatta.

     Yet he was not a weak soldier as a soldier fighting his own weakness.

   Synonym: (wage war) 戦争する (sensō suru)

2. to compete (in a match, for example)

   Synonyms: 競争する (kyōsō suru), 試合する (shiai suru), 勝負する (shōbu suru), 争う (arasou)

3. to contend (for one's own interests)

   Synonym: 争う (arasou)

4. (figuratively) to get through with one's sufferings or difficulties
   • ““重度訪問介護制度” で自宅で暮らしたい ALS患者たちの願い”, in NHK首都圏ナビ‎^[1], Nihon Hoso Kyokai, 2022 February 10, archived from the original on 17 April 2022

     難(なん)病(びょう)とたたかう患(かん)者(じゃ)やその家(か)族(ぞく)が自(じ)宅(たく)で生(せい)活(かつ)したいと願(ねが)っても、必(ひつ)要(よう)な介(かい)護(ご)の支(し)援(えん)サービスが受(う)けられない。

     Nanbyō to tatakau kanja ya sono kazoku ga jitaku de seikatsu shitai to negattemo, hitsuyō na kaigo no shien sābisu ga ukerarenai.

     Patients suffering from difficult diseases and their family cannot be afforded necessary nursing support services even if they wish to live at home.

   Synonym: 闘病する (tōbyō suru)

5. (literally) to hit or strike repeatedly

   Synonym: 乱打する (randa suru)

Usage notes

The 戦う spelling is used in a broader sense than 闘う:

敵(てっ)国(こく)と戦(たたか)う ― tekkoku to tatakau ― battle in an enemy country

選(せん)挙(きょ)で戦(たたか)う ― senkyo de tatakau ― compete in the elections

暑(あつ)さと闘(たたか)う ― atsusa to tatakau ― beat the heat

Conjugation

Conjugation of "たたかう" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	たたかわ	tatakawa
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	たたかい	tatakai
Shūshikei ("terminal")	たたかう	tatakau
Rentaikei ("attributive")	たたかう	tatakau
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	たたかえ	tatakae
Meireikei ("imperative")	たたかえ	tatakae
Key constructions
Passive	たたかわれる	tatakawareru
Causative	たたかわせる たたかわす	tatakawaseru tatakawasu
Potential	たたかえる	tatakaeru
Volitional	たたかおう	tatakaō
Negative	たたかわない	tatakawanai
Negative continuative	たたかわず	tatakawazu
Formal	たたかいます	tatakaimasu
Perfective	たたかった	tatakatta
Conjunctive	たたかって	tatakatte
Hypothetical conditional	たたかえば	tatakaeba

Classical conjugation of "たたかふ" (ハ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	たたかは		tatakafa
Continuative (連用形)	たたかひ		tatakafi
Terminal (終止形)	たたかふ		tatakafu
Attributive (連体形)	たたかふ		tatakafu
Realis (已然形)	たたかへ		tatakafe
Imperative (命令形)	たたかへ		tatakafe
Key constructions
Negative	たたかはず		tatakafazu
Contrasting conjunction	たたかへど		tatakafedo
Causal conjunction	たたかへば		tatakafeba
Conditional conjunction	たたかはば		tatakafaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	たたかひき		tatakafiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	たたかひけり		tatakafikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	たたかひつ		tatakafitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	たたかひぬ		tatakafinu
Perfect-continuative tense	たたかへり たたかひたり		tatakaferi tatakafitari
Volitional	たたかはむ		tatakafamu

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 戦(たたか)い (tatakai, “a fight, a battle”)
• 闘(たたかい)構(がま)え (tatakaigamae, “the 鬥 enclosing radical, a component of certain kanji characters”)
• 戦(たたか)い取(と)る (tatakaitoru, “to take through fighting or battle”)
• 戦(たたか)い抜(ぬ)く (tatakainuku, “to fight through to the end”)

See also

• 格(かく)闘(とう)する (kakutō suru, “wrestle”)