Skip to content
道Nihongo Path

Word 1281 of 4449

Save Sign in to track

抗う

あらがう

to resist, to go against

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 運命に抗う。

    うんめいにあらがう。

    We resist fate.

  2. 時代の流れに抗うのは難しい。

    じだいのながれにあらがうのはむずかしい。

    It is hard to push back against the tide of the times.

  3. 強い眠気に抗いながら、夜道を運転した。

    つよいねむけにあらがいながら、よみちをうんてんした。

    Fighting off heavy drowsiness, I drove the night road.

Common patterns

運命に抗う
to struggle against fate
流れに抗う
to go against the current
抗いがたい
irresistible

Memory tip

A literary word with a tinge of futility: what you 抗う is usually bigger than you — fate, time, an era, sleep. For everyday pushing back, say 逆らう or 抵抗する.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does 抗う mean?