戦争
せんそう · sensou · JLPT N4 · noun
war
⚔️ 戦争 = 戦 (battle) + 争 (dispute): a fought-out dispute
戦 (sen) means battle or fight, as in 戦う (to fight). 争 (sou) means to contend or dispute, as in 争う (to compete). A dispute that escalates into battle is war. Sound hook: sensou sounds like sense-oh, and war makes no sense.
争 — hand 爫 (claw) over hand 又 pulling 亅
争 depicts two hands grabbing the same object from above and below, with a vertical stroke representing the contested item between them. The image of two parties tugging at one thing gave rise to its meanings of 'to contend,' 'to fight for,' or 'to dispute.' The modern simplified form streamlines the older 爭.