Translation guide
The English word "competitive" has several distinct meanings. It can describe a person who is driven to win, a situation involving rivalry, or a price/quality that compares favorably with others. This guide breaks down these meanings and provides natural Japanese equivalents.
Describing a person who is very determined to succeed or outperform others.
Literally 'hate losing'. This is the most common and natural way to describe a competitive person in Japanese. It implies a strong dislike of losing and a drive to win.
彼女はとても負けず嫌いだ。
She is very competitive.
負けず嫌いの性格が、彼を成功に導いた。
His competitive nature led him to success.
Literally 'strong competitive spirit'. A more analytical description, suitable for both spoken and written contexts.
彼は競争心が強いので、どんなゲームでも本気になる。
He's so competitive that he takes every game seriously.
Similar to 負けず嫌い, but slightly more colloquial and often used in Kansai region. Emphasizes a fighting spirit.
うちの子は負けん気が強くて、すぐに友達と競争する。
My kid is so competitive, always competing with friends.
Describing a situation, activity, or environment where people or companies compete against each other.
Literally 'intense competition'. Used to describe competitive markets, industries, or environments.
この業界は競争が激しい。
This industry is highly competitive.
競争の激しい市場で生き残るのは難しい。
It's hard to survive in a competitive market.
The direct adjectival form 'competitive'. Less common than 競争の激しい for describing environments, but can be used in formal contexts.
競争的な環境で育った。
I grew up in a competitive environment.
Refers to competition between businesses or entities. Often used in business contexts as a noun.
Describing a price, product, or service that is comparable to or better than what others offer.
Literally 'having competitive power'. The standard way to say a price or product is competitive in business contexts.
当社は競争力のある価格を提供します。
We offer competitive prices.
この製品は競争力のある品質だ。
This product has competitive quality.
Literally 'not losing to other companies'. A more colloquial way to express competitiveness in quality or price.
他社に負けない価格を実現しました。
We achieved prices that are competitive with other companies.
Means 'comparatively cheap' or 'good value'. Used when a price is lower than expected or lower than competitors'.
When describing a person as competitive, avoid directly translating 'competitive' as 競争的 (kyōsō-teki). While grammatically correct, it sounds unnatural and clinical. Use 負けず嫌い or 競争心が強い instead.
負けず嫌い is an emotional, personality-driven term (hates losing), while 競争心が強い is a more neutral description of having a competitive spirit. The former is more common in casual speech.
競合他社との競争が厳しい。
Competition with rival companies is fierce.
この店は割安な価格で提供している。
This store offers competitive prices.