Meaning
战士
zhàn shì
Warrior, fighter
- 战
- to fight, battle
- 士
- soldier
A fighter or warrior; also used for people who battle hardship.
Warrior in Chinese
The Chinese word for warrior is 战士 (zhàn shì). A fighter or warrior; also used for people who battle hardship. In traditional characters it is written 戰士.
战士
zhàn shì
Warrior
What 战士 means.
战士 is a fighter or soldier, and anyone who fights for a cause. 武 is martial spirit, as in 武术 (martial arts); an ancient reading explains it as 止 (stop) and 戈 (spear): true strength ends fighting.
- 战
- to fight, battle
- 士
- soldier
Simplified and traditional
战士
戰士
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 戰士 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 战士 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
武
wǔ
Martial spirit
- 武
- martial, military
A single character for martial strength, as in 武术, martial arts.
About warrior in Chinese
How do you write warrior in Chinese?
Warrior is 战士 in Chinese, pronounced zhàn shì. Warrior, fighter 战 means “to fight, battle”, 士 means “soldier”.
How do you pronounce 战士?
Say zhàn (fourth tone, falling), shì (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 战士 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 戰士, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 战士 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean warrior?
武 (wǔ): Martial spirit A single character for martial strength, as in 武术, martial arts.
Is 战士 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.