Sections
Tatakau (戦う): what it means in anime
戦う
たたかう · tatakau · to make war; to wage war; to go to war JLPT N3
Tatakau means "to fight" or "to do battle", in war, in a tournament or against fate. The noun is 戦い (tatakai), "a battle".
Where you hear it 3 of 42 series
Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
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Sword Art Online · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
自分の体を動かして戦うほうが 面白いだろIsn't it more fun to move your body as you fight?
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One Piece · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
俺はずっと１人で戦ってきた
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Dr. Stone · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 3
一緒に戦うに決まってるだろ！
Usage and nuance
It is more serious than 喧嘩する (kenka suru, to have a fight or quarrel). 戦う is what soldiers, heroes and sports teams do; 喧嘩 is what two kids do in a schoolyard.
Lines to catch: 戦え ("fight!"), 俺が戦う ("I will fight"), 戦う理由 ("a reason to fight"). Sword Art Online and Dr. Stone both turn 戦う into a motto in their first episodes.
The kanji 戦 also appears in 戦争 (sensou, war), 戦士 (senshi, warrior) and 作戦 (sakusen, operation or strategy), all common in military anime.
Hear 戦う in Sword Art Online6 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account