Meaning
征 (セイ) means to conquer, to subjugate, or to go on a punitive expedition. The core image is soldiers marching out against an enemy — to crush a rebellion, expand territory, or bring a foreign land to heel. That martial, historical weight makes 征 essential in texts on feudal Japan, samurai warfare, and imperial campaigns.
Modern Japanese has extended the meaning beyond the battlefield. 征服 now covers conquering a mountain peak or pushing through fear just as readily as military victory.
Structurally, 征 combines two components: the radical 彳 (gyōninben, radical 60) on the left, and 正 (correct, righteous) on the right. 彳 signals movement — marching, setting out on a path. 正 adds official sanction. Put them together and you get someone striding forward on an authorized mission. The pairing is not accidental: rulers historically framed campaigns as righteous acts, and the character encodes exactly that claim.
Written in 8 strokes — three for 彳 and five for 正 — 征 is a Jōyō kanji introduced at the secondary school level. Most native speakers first encounter it in history class or classical literature. Day-to-day conversation rarely calls for it, but anyone reading about Japanese history, following sports news (where 遠征 appears constantly), or studying for JLPT N1 will run into it often.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The sole on'yomi is セイ (sei). Almost every compound containing 征 uses this reading, since 征 rarely appears alone. Learn セイ first; the kun'yomi can wait.
Key compounds using セイ:
- 征服 (seifuku) — conquest, subjugation; used figuratively for overcoming personal challenges as well
- 遠征 (ensei) — expedition, long-distance campaign; in sports, an away game or tournament trip
- 出征 (shussei) — departure for the front, going off to war
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is ゆ.く (yuku), meaning to go forth or march. In contemporary Japanese this reading is rare — it surfaces mostly in classical poetry, old documents, and formal literary prose. Written in kana as ゆく, it looks identical to the everyday verb 行く (to go). Using the kanji 征く instead signals a specific nuance: military movement, an expedition, a heroic departure.
- 征く (yuku) — to go forth on a campaign, to march against (literary/classical use)
Common Words & Compounds
征 is a formal, historically weighted kanji, so its compounds cluster in three areas: military history, classical literature, and sports journalism. A solid grasp of them opens up most N1-level historical texts.
Historical and Military Terms:
- 征服 (seifuku) — conquest, subjugation; the most versatile compound, covering literal military conquest and figurative victories alike
- 征夷大将軍 (seii taishōgun) — the full title of the shogun; literally "great general who subdues the barbarians"; the highest military-political title in feudal Japan, held by the Tokugawa, Ashikaga, and other shogunate families
- 出征 (shussei) — going off to war, departing for the battlefront; common in texts about World War II and earlier Japanese military history
- 征討 (seitō) — conquest and suppression; a punitive expedition against rebels
- 親征 (shinsei) — a military expedition personally led by the emperor
- 東征 (tōsei) — eastern expedition; refers to Emperor Jimmu's legendary campaign to establish the imperial capital
Modern and Broader Usage:
- 遠征 (ensei) — expedition, away trip; the most common compound in modern Japanese, found in sports news and scientific or mountain-climbing contexts
- 長征 (chōsei) — long march; most notably refers to China's Long March of the 1930s
- 征途 (seito) — the road of battle or expedition; a literary term for setting out on a great challenge
- 征戦 (seisen) — military campaign, battle; formal term in historical accounts and epic literature
Example Sentences
彼のチームは全国大会への遠征に出発した。
Kare no chīmu wa zenkoku taikai e no ensei ni shuppatsu shita.
His team set off for the national tournament.
人類はいつか宇宙を征服できると信じている。
Jinrui wa itsuka uchū wo seifuku dekiru to shinjite iru.
Humanity believes it will one day conquer outer space.
祖父は戦時中に出征した経験を静かに語った。
Sofu wa senjichū ni shussei shita keiken wo shizuka ni katatta.
My grandfather quietly spoke of being sent to the front.
征夷大将軍の地位は江戸時代を通じて徳川家が独占した。
Seii taishōgun no chii wa Edo jidai wo tsūjite Tokugawa-ke ga dokusen shita.
The Tokugawa family held the shogunate unchallenged throughout the Edo period.
選手たちは海外遠征から帰国し、優勝の喜びを分かち合った。
Senshu-tachi wa kaigai ensei kara kikoku shi, yūshō no yorokobi wo wakachi atta.
Back from their overseas trip, the athletes celebrated their championship together.
彼女は恐怖心を征服し、初めてのスカイダイビングに挑戦した。
Kanojo wa kyōfushin wo seifuku shi, hajimete no sukaidaibingu ni chōsen shita.
She conquered her fear and jumped out of a plane for the first time.
歴史の授業で神武天皇の東征について詳しく学んだ。
Rekishi no jugyō de Jinmu Tennō no tōsei ni tsuite kuwashiku mananda.
In history class we studied Emperor Jimmu's eastern expedition in detail.
反乱軍を征討するために、大軍が派遣された。
Hanrangun wo seitō suru tame ni, taigun ga haken sareta.
A large army was dispatched to put down the rebels.
長征は中国の近現代史において象徴的な出来事だ。
Chōsei wa Chūgoku no kingendaishi ni oite shōchōteki na dekigoto da.
The Long March is a defining moment in China's modern history.
Memory Tip
Break 征 into its parts: 彳 (marching, movement) and 正 (straight, correct, righteous). Picture a general striding in a straight line into enemy territory — certain his cause is just. That image captures the kanji: march straight ahead on a righteous mission. When you see 彳 paired with 正, think conquest.