Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Struggle" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "struggle", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
奮闘
ふんとう (funtō)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
鬩ぎ合う
鬩ぎ合う(せめぎあう)
C2PLUS / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "struggle" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 奮闘 and 鬩ぎ合う.
In Japanese, 奮闘 (ふんとう (funtō)) is typically associated with "struggle; hard fight; strenuous effort" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to struggling hard, putting up a brave fight, or making strenuous efforts against a difficult task or situation. Can be used with する as a verb.
On the other hand, 鬩ぎ合う (鬩ぎ合う(せめぎあう)) maps to "to struggle against each other; to compete fiercely" (Syllabus Level: C2PLUS) and represents Essential structural term in CEFR C2PLUS vocabulary syllabus.. A literal translation of "struggle" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "奮闘"
新しいプロジェクトの成功に向けて、チームのメンバー全員が日々_______しています。
Towards the success of the new project, all team members are struggling hard day by day.
Bilingual Context for "鬩ぎ合う"
毎日、日本語を練習するために鬩ぎ合う。
Every day, I struggle against each other; to compete fiercely to practice Japanese.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "新しいプロジェクトの成功に向けて、チームのメンバー全員が日々_______しています。" (Meaning: "Towards the success of the new project, all team members are struggling hard day by day.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "奮闘" fits here because it means "struggle; hard fight; strenuous effort" in the context of: "Towards the success of the new project, all team members are struggling hard day by day.". "鬩ぎ合う" represents "to struggle against each other; to compete fiercely".