Meaning
The kanji 隊 primarily means 'group,' 'unit,' 'corps,' 'squad,' or 'team.' It's often used for organized bodies of people with a specific purpose. Think of military units, rescue teams, or even sports teams. The kanji's meaning highlights structure, organization, and collective action, making it relevant in diverse contexts from the military to everyday sports and volunteer work.
Looking at 隊's visual structure offers insight into its meaning. It is a semantic-phonetic compound kanji. The left-hand radical, 阝 (こざとへん), is a variant of 阜. This originally depicted a 'mound' or 'hill,' and by extension, can suggest a 'place' or 'location' where a group might gather.
The right-hand component is 豕 (し), which means 'pig.' While 'pig' itself doesn't directly relate to 'group,' 豕 often serves as a phonetic component. It can also imply something moving in a line or a 'formation,' much like pigs might move together. Therefore, the combination can be interpreted as 'a group or formation of people (or animals) gathered at a specific place.' This etymological understanding strongly reinforces its modern meaning of an organized 'unit' or 'squad.'
This kanji has 11 strokes and is designated as a Jōyō Kanji, meaning it's one of the 2,136 characters officially designated for general use. It is typically studied at the N1 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The main On'yomi for 隊 is タイ (tai). This is by far the most common reading, appearing in almost all compound words that use this kanji. It reflects the original Chinese pronunciation and is common in formal, technical, and military contexts.
- 部隊 (butai) — unit, corps, squad. This refers to a military or organized group, such as an infantry unit or a special operations corps.
その部隊は早朝に出発した。
Sono butai wa sōchō ni shuppatsu shita.
That unit departed in the early morning.
- 軍隊 (guntai) — army, troops. This term collectively refers to a country's armed forces or military personnel.
軍隊が国境に配置された。
Guntai ga kokkyō ni haichi sareta.
Troops were deployed to the border.
- 団体 (dantai) — organization, association, group. This is a broader term for any organized group of people, such as a volunteer organization or a travel group.
彼は慈善団体に所属している。
Kare wa jizen dantai ni shozoku shite iru.
He belongs to a charity organization.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kanji 隊 does not have any commonly used Kun'yomi readings. It is almost exclusively found in On'yomi compounds. This is common for many N1 level kanji, which often serve as conceptual building blocks within larger words rather than standalone native Japanese words.
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 隊 appears frequently in compound words, especially those related to organized groups, military, and emergency services. Here are some important compounds, grouped for easier learning:
Military & Law Enforcement Related
- 自衛隊 (jieitai) — Self-Defense Forces (Japan's military, established after WWII).
- 警察隊 (keisatsutai) — Police force/squad (refers to a specific police unit or the police force generally).
- 空挺隊 (kūteitai) — Airborne unit (a military unit trained for parachute deployment).
- 偵察隊 (teisatsutai) — Reconnaissance team.
Emergency & Rescue Services Related
- 救助隊 (kyūjotai) — Rescue team (a group dedicated to saving people from danger or disaster).
- 消防隊 (shōbōtai) — Fire brigade/squad (a unit of firefighters).
- 医療隊 (iryōtai) — Medical team (a group of healthcare professionals).
General Groups & Formations
- 選手隊 (senshutai) — Team of athletes/players (a group participating in sports or competitions).
- 応援隊 (ōentai) — Cheering squad, support team (a group providing encouragement or assistance).
- 調査隊 (chōsatai) — Survey team, investigation team (a group conducting research or an inquiry).
- 隊列 (tairetsu) — Procession, formation, line (the arrangement of a group of people or vehicles, e.g., a parade formation).
- 編隊 (hentai) — Formation (e.g., of aircraft) (the specific arrangement of multiple vehicles or aircraft).
Actions & Status Related
- 入隊 (nyūtai) — Enlistment, joining a corps/unit (the act of becoming a member of a group or unit).
- 退隊 (taitai) — Leaving a unit/corps (the act of resigning or being discharged from a group or unit).
Example Sentences
救助隊がすぐに現場へ向かった。
Kyūjotai ga sugu ni genba e mukatta.
The rescue team immediately headed to the scene.
彼は陸上自衛隊に入隊した。
Kare wa rikujōjieitai ni nyūtai shita.
He enlisted in the Ground Self-Defense Force.
消防隊の活躍で、火事は鎮火された。
Shōbōtai no katsuyaku de, kaji wa chinka sareta.
Thanks to the fire brigade's efforts, the fire was extinguished.
旅行団体が観光地に到着した。
Ryokō dantai ga kankōchi ni tōchaku shita.
The tour group arrived at the tourist spot.
偵察隊が敵陣へ潜入した。
Teisatsutai ga tekijin e sennyū shita.
The reconnaissance team infiltrated the enemy lines.
選手隊は大会に向けて最終調整を行っている。
Senshutai wa taikai ni mukete saishū chōsei o okonatte iru.
The team of athletes is making final adjustments for the tournament.
大勢の軍隊がその地域に展開された。
Ōzei no guntai ga sono chiiki ni tenkai sareta.
A large number of troops were deployed to that area.
彼は長年所属した研究隊を退隊した。
Kare wa naganen shozoku shita kenkyūtai o taitai shita.
He left the research team he had belonged to for many years.
渡り鳥の大きな編隊が空を飛んでいた。
Wataridori no ookina hentai ga sora o tonde ita.
A large formation of migratory birds was flying in the sky.
Memory Tip
To remember 隊, think about its components. The left part, 阝 (こざとへん), suggests a 'mound' or 'place.' The right component 豕 (し) means 'pig.' However, here it's more about its phonetic sound and the idea of animals moving in a 'line' or 'formation.'
Imagine a line of pigs (豕) or people forming an organized 'unit' or 'squad' gathered at a specific 'place' (阝), perhaps on a mound. This vivid image of an orderly '隊' (group) on a 'place' will help you recall the kanji's meaning.