Musou is the Japanese word for ‘unparalleled person’, explained

What does “musou” mean in Japanese?

There are homophones, but native speakers say “musou” often to mean an ‘unparalleled person’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, video games, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “musou” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “musou”
• What does “musou” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “unparalleled person” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “musou”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “musou”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “musou”.

• musou – 無双 (むそう) : a noun meaning ‘unparalleled person’ in Japanese.

This is a noun, but can also be used like an adjective especially in speaking to mean ‘unparalleled’ or ‘unrivaled’ in Japanese. It’s worth knowing, I think.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “musou” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “musou” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 無 : a kanji character sometimes used as a prefix to deny the meaning of its following word.
• 双 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘pair’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “musou” literally means ‘no pair’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. An unparalleled person can be considered as someone who cannot be paired.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “musou” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “musou” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “unparalleled person” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
• tenka – 天下 (てんか) : a noun often translated into English as ‘world’.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “tenka musou” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “musou”. In this example, it works together with “tenka” to mean the ‘unparalleled person in the world’ in Japanese. Native speakers occasionally use this combination, so it’s worth knowing.

Example #2: another usage of “musou”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb at the beginning of the sentence to say “tomorrow” in Japanese.
• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• shiai – 試合 (しあい) : a noun meaning ‘match’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “shiai” to say where he will dominate.
• suru – する : a verb meaning ‘to do’, ‘to perform’, or such in Japanese. When this follows a noun, however, this can work to make the verb form of the preceding noun. In this example, this works after “musou” to make its verb form which can mean ‘to dominate’ in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “musou”. In this example, it works together with “suru” to become the verb form which means ‘to dominate’ in Japanese.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “musou” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• musou – 無双 (むそう) : a noun meaning ‘unparalleled person’ in Japanese. This is a noun, but can also be used like an adjective especially in speaking to mean ‘unparalleled’ or ‘unrivaled’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘no pair’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. An unparalleled person can be considered as someone who cannot be paired.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.