zhànzhēng: 战争 - War, Warfare

Keywords: zhanzheng, 战争, war in Chinese, Chinese word for war, how to say war in Chinese, zhànzhēng meaning, military Chinese, warfare, Sun Tzu, Chinese history war, 第二次世界大战

Summary: Discover the meaning of 战争 (zhànzhēng), the primary Chinese word for war and warfare. This page explores its literal definition in historical and modern conflicts, its powerful metaphorical use in contexts like “trade war” (贸易战), and its deep cultural significance rooted in millennia of Chinese history and strategic thought, such as Sun Tzu's “Art of War”. Learn how to use this essential HSK 5 term correctly and distinguish it from related concepts like “battle” (战斗).

Pinyin (with tone marks): zhànzhēng

Part of Speech: Noun

HSK Level: HSK 5

Concise Definition: The state of organized, large-scale armed conflict between nations, states, or groups.

In a Nutshell: `战争` is the formal and serious term for “war.” It refers to the entire conflict, not just a single fight. Think of epic historical struggles like World War II, not a street brawl. The word carries a heavy, solemn tone, reflecting the immense scale and tragedy of armed conflict. It's also used metaphorically to describe intense, large-scale struggles in other domains like business or politics.

战 (zhàn): This character is composed of the radical 戈 (gē), which represents a “dagger-axe” or an ancient pole weapon, and the phonetic component 占 (zhān), meaning “to occupy.” Together, they create a vivid image: using weapons to fight for and occupy territory. Its core meaning is “to fight” or “battle.”

争 (zhēng): This character pictorially represents two hands (the top part 爫) fighting over a central object or territory (the hook-like bottom part). It means “to contend, to strive, to vie for, to struggle.”

When combined, 战争 (zhànzhēng) literally means “fight-struggle.” It perfectly captures the essence of war as an organized, large-scale struggle involving fighting and contention over resources, ideology, or territory.

In China, a civilization with one of the world's longest continuous histories, 战争 (zhànzhēng) is a concept steeped in millennia of experience. From the foundational wars of the Qin Dynasty unification to the turbulent Warring States period, the Mongol invasions, the Opium Wars, and the devastating Second Sino-Japanese War (第二次世界大战的一部分, a part of WWII), war has been a recurring and formative force in the national consciousness.

Unlike some Western portrayals that might romanticize individual heroism, the traditional Chinese perspective on `战争`, heavily influenced by thinkers like Sun Tzu (孙子), often focuses on strategy, deception, endurance, and the immense human cost. Sun Tzu's The Art of War (《孙子兵法》 Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ) treats warfare not as a glorious pursuit but as a “grave matter of state” (国之大事) to be avoided if possible and won decisively and intelligently if not.

This is different from the Western concept of “war” which can sometimes be tied to notions of freedom-fighting or a “just war” with a more clear-cut moral righteousness. In the Chinese context, `战争` often evokes a heavier sense of historical cycles, dynastic change, and collective suffering, with a profound cultural preference for 和平 (hépíng), or peace.

Connotation: When used literally, the connotation is serious, grave, and overwhelmingly negative. When used metaphorically, it implies intensity, high stakes, and aggressive competition. It is a formal and strong word.

Not for Personal Fights: Do not use `战争` to describe a personal argument or a small fight. It's far too dramatic. For an argument with a friend or family member, you would use `吵架 (chǎojià)`. For a physical fistfight, you might use `打架 (dǎjià)`. Using `战争` for these would sound absurd, like saying “I started World War III with my roommate over the dirty dishes.”

战斗 (zhàndòu) - Battle; a specific engagement within a `战争`.

和平 (hépíng) - Peace; the direct antonym of `战争`.

冲突 (chōngtū) - Conflict; a more general term that can be military or non-military and is often less intense or smaller in scale than `战争`.

军队 (jūnduì) - Army, military, troops; the organization that fights a `战争`.

士兵 (shìbīng) - Soldier; an individual member of an `军队`.

武器 (wǔqì) - Weapon(s), arms; the tools used in a `战争`.

冷战 (Lěngzhàn) - Cold War; a specific type of non-direct, ideological `战争`.

孙子兵法 (Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ) - The Art of War; China's most famous philosophical text on the nature of `战争`.

贸易战 (màoyì zhàn) - Trade War; a primary example of the metaphorical use of `战`.